Akai Ito
by Crystal Saturn
Summary: The red thread of fate connects destined lovers forever. The day after the Star Light Tower Battle, Serena finds herself arrested for the attempted murder of Darien, who is currently in a coma. But if he's in hospital, then how is he also following her?
1. Twenty Four

Hi everyone, it's my latest fanfiction! This is a milestone year for me this year because when June rolls around, I will have been a member of for a decade. It's a little bittersweet for me because although I've had a blast, I know I should have had many more stories to offer in the last few years. But anyway, I've grown as a writer thanks to the support of many of you, so please remember to continue to Read and Review!

As many of you know, there are differences between the Japanese and American versions of the Anime, such as names, places etc. Please note that I grew up watching the American version, and yet much prefer the Japanese anime. I would happily use Japanese names in my fiction, but am uneasy and unsure about the proper way to use suffixes. So not to make a fool of myself, I have opted to use American names with the exception of Ami and Rei. There may be some overlaps though.

A special shout out to fanfiction member **SulliMike23** who lives on the other side of the world from me, but has reviewed many of my stories for the better half of 7 years now. Thank you ^_^

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**Title:** Akai Ito  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 1- Twenty Four

_"I'm not who I thought I was__  
__Twenty-four hours ago_

_Still I'm singing 'Spirit,__  
__take me up in arms with You"_

It wasn't fair.

The birds chirped happily as they fluttered about in the Sakura blossom trees. The Sun's golden rays weaved their way among the leaves and branches to form an intricate swaying pattern on the pavement below. An unseasonal warm breeze sent a flurry of Sakura blossoms drifting in the air, and threatened to postpone the onset of winter.

Twenty four hours ago Serena had no idea that she was the ever precious Moon Princess reincarnated. The Silver Crystal was still broken into the shards of the Seven Rainbow Crystals. Darien was the jerk who teased her at the Crown Arcade. Tuxedo Mask was her dreamy savior and ultimate hunk-meister. Twenty four hours ago they were both separate entities to her. She was not destined to marry him in some previous lifetime. He would be sitting in his usual seat, drinking his usual coffee and she would not have cared. She wouldn't have known the torment she would be feeling when she lost him to the Dark Kingdom. Twenty four hours ago, she would not have loved him as much as she did now.

And still, life seemed to go on like it did before. Like nothing had changed. Like he was still around. It wasn't fair.

Serena's thoughts were interrupted by a loud knocking on her classroom door. Two officers dressed in dark blue uniforms quietly ushered Ms Haruna outside. Curious students stood up and tried to listen to the conversation conducted outside. Serena didn't care. She had much more important things to think about, like how to get him back. A few more moments passed and Ms Haruna solemnly stepped back into the room.

"Serena." Her usual stern face was replaced with one of concern. "Will you come with me, please?"

At first, Serena hadn't noticed her name being called, not until she turned around and realized that everybody in the room had their eyes to her. Slowly, she turned her head and glanced over to her fellow classmate and Sailor Soldier, Ami. She shrugged, not knowing what it was all about, or how to help her friend. Serena slowly stood up and gathered her belongings, walking out the door to be greeted by the two officers.

"Serena Tsukino?" The officer to the right asked. His partner shot him a look of confusion and uncertainty. Surely it couldn't have been her. He was not expecting to see a mere child before him.

"Yes. That's me." Serena nodded cautiously.

"I am Detective Rhea and this is Inspector Daphnis. Serena Tsukino, please turn around." The first officer reached for his hand cuffs. "You're under arrest for suspicion of attempted murder." A million questions raced within Serena's head as she felt the cool steel of the handcuffs being wrapped around her wrists, restraining her tightly.

"Murder? Of who? I haven't murdered anyone!" Serena pleaded in disbelief.

"Darien Chiba." Officer Daphnis stated simply before continuing to read out her rights. "We're taking you down to the station for questioning. Remember, you are not obliged to say anything unless you wish to do so but what you say may be put into writing and given as evidence. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Serena managed to mumble as her heart sank to her feet. How could this be happening? The Dark Kingdom took him from her. Attempted murder? How could that be? She watched helplessly through her tears as Kunzite carried him away into the darkness. She remembered the sound of her shrill voice as it strained, screaming out for him into the night. There was no way she would have left him behind.

The police ride to the station was spent in complete silence as she contemplated the situation. Serena was taken into an interview room where her handcuffs were released and she was frisk searched.

"Is he ok?" She finally managed to ask.

"He's in critical condition in the hospital." Inspector Daphnis informed simply as he turned on the voice recorder.

"Now, Serena, you've indicated that you will not be needing an attorney present, is this correct?" Detective Rhea shuffled through some paper work.

"That's right." Serena nodded quietly. "I have nothing to hide."

"Right," Detective Rhea began, "What relationship do you have with Mr. Chiba?" Serena frowned deeply as she thought of how to answer the question. It was a difficult one to answer at this very moment. They were barely friends, and yet lovers in a previous lifetime. They fought beside each other, and yet they were rivals when it came to collecting the Rainbow Crystals.

"He's a friend." Serena resolved to keep her answers simple and not give away too much.

"And how well do you know him?" Inspector Daphnis questioned as he wrote down a few notes, watching Serena's reactions to the questions and noting any changes in her demeanor.

"Well enough, I guess. We share a few secrets and talk every now and then."

"Let's get to the point now, Serena. We have a few witnesses that state they saw you and Mr. Chiba having a bit of an altercation outside of the Crown Arcade yesterday afternoon. Do you want to tell us what that was about?"

"I spotted him in the crowd." Serena smiled as she recalled the incident. "I snuck up behind him and playfully swatted him on the back. He looked a little sad. He turned around and smiled at me. He noticed that I was happy and told me to never change that about myself. Then he walked away. It was so unlike him. Usually he'd tease me back and we'd have a bit of a play fight. But not this time. I noticed that he was hurt, he was bleeding from where I had hit him. It wasn't that hard, I swear. Because of his strange behavior and his injury, I decided to follow him."

"Into the Starlight Tower?"

"Yes." Serena nodded solemnly.

"We had a number of calls last night with complaints of a possible violent altercation happening within the towers upper levels. Witnesses report seeing strange flashes of light, the occasional screams and loud noises that indicated the use of explosives. Would you happen to know anything about this?"

"No." Serena swallowed the lump in her throat. She couldn't reveal her and everybody else's secret. There was no way that she could tell the truth about what really happened last night. They wouldn't believe her even if she wanted to. "I fainted. I guess I was tired. I didn't see anything that happened."

"And yet, a few hours later you and four other mysteriously disguised girls were seen fleeing from the Star Light Tower, where hours later, Darien Chiba's body was found. Bruised and wounded in his left shoulder, barely clinging on to life. The doctors said he had multiple stab wounds, one almost fatal." Detective Rhea pressed on, hoping that Serena would crack under the pressure and open up to him about what really happened that night.

"No, it wasn't me." Serena urged. "I mean, I was there, but I didn't do it. I'd never hurt Darien."

"But you left him behind?"

"No! I mean, yes. I mean… it's hard to explain. Darien was in trouble with these people and I wanted to help him, but I got in the way. He saved me. They tricked him and ambushed us. I'm not sure what happened after that. It was all too much…" Serena's eyes glazed with tears as she remembered the moment the Silver Crystal appeared. "I think I fainted, and when I woke up the Sailor Soldiers had saved me. I thought they took him away. I thought he..." Serena's voice began to crack. "I didn't know he was still there, I wanted to go back but they said he was gone." Tears began to fall from Serena's eyes as she recalled the events that led up to the revelation of her true self, and the loss of her soul mate.

"So you saw who attacked Mr. Chiba? Who was it?" Detective Rhea questioned once again as Inspector Daphnis stood back and quietly watched, evidently trying to read Serena's expressions and emotions. "Did they give any indication that they were after any valuable items, wallets, money, or jewelry perhaps?

"I don't know… I couldn't tell you." She quietly sniffled and tried to stop the tears from falling. "I didn't get a good look at their faces and I didn't know Darien well enough to know if he was in trouble with anyone. All I know is that they were after a crystal or something…"

"So you're saying it could have been a burglary gone wrong?" Inspector Daphnis interjected.

"I… I guess so." Serena rubbed her tired, swollen eyes. "I'm really quite tired and I don't remember much from the night. A lot of it was a blur."

"Look Serena, I'm calling this interview over, suspended at 3:14PM." Detective Rhea reached for the voice recorder. "You've been helpful in regards to answering our questions. Although your account of what happened last night is a little suspicious, we still have a number of witnesses and suspects we would like to question. As it stands, we don't have enough evidence to convict you or warrant any further arrest. You're free to go pending a phone call from your parents, but would you be willing to consent to DNA testing so the forensics team can provide further analysis of the crime scene?"

"Sure." Serena nodded and a swab was taken of the inside of her cheek. She was released after four hours of waiting and minutes of intense questioning. Walking out of the police station, Serena noted that it was now mid afternoon. School had just finished and she should probably head over to the Crown arcade. News of her arrest would have spread like gossip wildfire by now and many of her friends would most likely be very worried and curious. Her mother sounded distraught over the telephone, and Serena wasn't sure she was ready to handle the barrage of questions waiting for her at home.

Serena slowly began her trek toward the Arcade, hauling her book bag over her shoulder. She was tired, irritable and quite upset. For the most part, her questions had remained unanswered. How was it that Darien was found when the Dark Kingdom had captured him? Did the Sailor Scouts knowingly and willingly lie to her? Why would they do such a thing? How was his condition? Did he remember her?

As Serena approached the corner near the entrance of the Crown Arcade, she felt her heart inexplicably begin to beat wildly within her chest with every step. Her breathing began to increase, as did her pace and she found herself unsure of the reason behind why she was practically running around the corner, yet it was as if her feet were being pulled by an invisible force. Serena sped around the bend and felt the pull subside briefly before she stopped dead in her tracks. There he stood, staring blankly in to the Crown Arcade.

"Why won't these stupid doors open?" He turned his gaze toward her as a golden stream of her hair caught his attention out of the corner of his eye.

"Dumpling Head!" He exclaimed loudly as he ran toward the astounded blonde.

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That's all for this week. More next week! Please Read and Review. I will be dedicating many chapters to various members of the community who have supported and followed me throughout these last 10 years, so please keep an eye out for these names. Many of them have wonderful stories of their own, so why not look them up? ^_^ Until next week,

_**Crystal Saturn **_


	2. The Setting Sun

I'm in the middle of an Ideas Drought. This story has been the only original idea I've come up with in a year. In 2005, some of you may remember, I completed a story called **The Jinxed Journey**. It was pulled from in early 2006 because _apparently _it breached some code. My back up died and I was only able to save 6 chapters. Feeling disheartened, I never re-uploaded the story... Until now. It may take a while but I've decided to re-vamp and re-write **TJJ**, and hopefully it will be better than the original, I just wish I still had the original to compare!

**Thanks to:** Miss Katrina Malfoy, CCFan4Life, Starrlight1812, Moon Princess Selene, Stacey, merangelgal, TropicalRemix, CharmedSerenity3 **and **SulliMike23 **for reviewing the previous chapter.**

I'd like to dedicate this chapter to **CharmedSerenity3** who has been reading my stories for about 6 years now. She's always left wonderful reviews, a lot of them hilarious to read, and she also has a number of fantastic stories of her own (she's on my favourite authors list). Thank you for your continuous support!

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**Title:** Akai Ito  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated: **T  
**Chapter:** 2- The Setting Sun

_"I've got a wound that doesn't heal,  
__Burning out again,  
__I'm not sure which of me is real,  
__I'm alone again, burning out again"_

Serena watched the translucent form of Darien as he happily bounded towards her. How could this be? He was meant to be lying unconscious in a hospital bed. No! He was meant to be kidnapped by the Dark Kingdom! The thought crossed her mind that in the time that she was being questioned down at the station, his condition could have worsened. The injuries that he had sustained in the battle at the Star Light Tower were quite serious. Could he have had died in that time? Serena's heart sank within her chest at the thought. It couldn't be. He couldn't have. It wouldn't be fair.

"No, _Akai Ito_." Serena bit her lip nervously as she tried to banish all thoughts of Darien dying from her mind. She wouldn't allow it.

Serena watched with cautious anticipation as he approached her. She looked around and noticed that although he had practically yelled out her name, no one had paid any attention. Whenever _she_ called out excitedly, she received the occasional stare and odd look, but no one seemed to be paying any attention to the man in the hideous green suit jacket. Serena felt her heart begin to race again as he approached her. A sickening feeling sloshed within the pit of her stomach as she watched Darien run past a mother and through her son. He was too excited to notice that he had supernaturally walked straight through the little boy. Serena could have fainted there and then. She closed her eyes for a moment to regain her strength and try to shake her disturbed visions out of her mind.

"I don't believe in ghosts." Serena whispered under her breath as she slowly opened her eyes to see Darien's semi-transparent apparition still staring down at her. She shook her head again as she walked through him in an attempt to make him disappear from her vision, and quickly paced into the Arcade.

"Dumpling Head!" Darien's voice called after her as he followed her into the Arcade. She made no attempt to acknowledge his presence, and instead, ordered a chocolate milkshake. "Damn. I could've sworn you saw me. It was like you looked right at me when you turned that corner." Darien sat on the stool beside Serena and watched her intently.

"Here's your Milkshake Serena." Andrew smiled warmly as he slid the tall glass across the counter.

"Your usual." Darien tilted his head to the side as he continued to watch Serena. "Has nothing changed since I've been gone? You went to school today." Darien tugged lightly on Serena's school uniform collar. His fingers slipped through the fabric, not even making a flicker or ripple. "You're at the arcade this afternoon, ordering your usual Milkshake. Nothing seems any different. Am I that easy to forget?"

Serena winced at his words. He hadn't known that only an hour ago she was sitting in a Police station, being accused of trying to murder him. It was clear to her now that no one else could see him, not even Andrew. Darien didn't know of all the pain in her heart and how she felt. Or of the distress he had caused by being taken, or not taken, by the Dark Kingdom. She wasn't quite sure why she was still pretending not to see him, but either way, she couldn't let him know just yet. She knew she would break down into tears. There were so many odd things about the day so far that she could not get her head around. This was one of them.

Serena slurped her milkshake quickly as she attempted to comprehend why Darien's apparition was haunting her from the next stool, and why no one else seemed to be able to see him but her. Looking around the arcade, she couldn't see any familiar faces. Serena cursed under her breath, knowing that there would be no one around to help distract her from the illusion that was dancing in front of her. As she finished the last of her milkshake, Darien reached his hand out and attempted to squeeze one of her hair buns. Chuckling to himself lightly, he made an attempt to poke Serena's cheek. She pulled away quickly in annoyance and hopped off the bar stool.

"Wait," Darien called as he watched Serena's expression. It was almost like a response to his affectionate teasing.

"Thanks Andrew." Serena smiled warmly as she left some change on the counter and briskly marched out of the arcade, hoping that specter Darien would stay there.

"What, no Sailor V game today?" Darien pursued the petite teenage girl as she made a shortcut through the park on her way home. Serena avoided his gaze and pretended to idly watch the trees as she passed them. "Dumpling head, if you can see me, let me know somehow. I swear I saw you look straight at me. You moved away from me when I tried to poke you." Darien struggled to match her furious pace. It seemed that every time he started to get close to her, she picked up her pace. It was almost like she was trying to run away from him. Serena walked through a patch of trees and toward a clearing. She stopped for a moment at the water fountain in an attempt to catch her breath. "What's the rush, Dumpling Head? Trying to get away from me?"

Serena took a deep breath and a few steps back as she sat down on a park bench, overlooking the water fountain and facing the sunset. She lowered her gaze to the ground as she idly kicked her feet against the dusty patch where the grass had been worn away. Surrendering all hopes of shaking Darien from her trail, she decided that she just needed some time alone to try to sort out her thoughts and why this was all happening to her.

"I guess you didn't see me after all." Darien sighed in frustration as he too took a seat on the park bench beside Serena. "I don't know why I thought you could see me. I guess... it's just that after all we've been through together, I thought… I _hoped_, that you would be the one who could… save me." Serena reached into her book bag and pulled out a small velvet pouch. Tugging gently on the draw strings, she turned the pouch to the side and let a small golden locket slip out. As it tumbled out of its soft housing, its small dome lid flipped open, triggering the mechanisms inside it to turn and play a gentle melody. Serena gently caressed the golden locket within her fingers as she listened to the melody play for only them.

"_Akai Ito."_ Serena sighed softly to herself, reminding herself gently of why she thought she was the only one who could see him. Darien knelt down beside the girl as he watched her expression. She seemed calm and serene. He wondered if the locket had any special meaning to her because he had given it to her, or if it was just another keepsake.

"I suppose it means more to you knowing that it came from Tuxedo Mask, huh?" Darien pondered to himself as he gently passed his hand through the locket. To his surprise, the lid closed back on itself at his touch, stopping the gentle melody in mid round. "It's a pity we didn't get to know each other better. I guess we just didn't move fast enough for fate. I would've liked to have a normal, civilized talk with you, maybe over ice cream. Maybe lunch with a stroll in the park afterwards. I guess I would have liked the chance to get know you better. A bit late now, I know."

Serena raised her feet up onto the bench, bending her knees and pulling them close to her chest. She rested her crossed arms over her knees and leaned her chin upon them. The sun hung lazily in the afternoon sky, chasing the rosy horizon. A gentle breeze tousled her hair about her as she sat still and watched the sun begin to set. No matter how hard she tried to remain calm and relaxed, it was almost impossible to still her heart which continued to thump heavily within her chest. Every time he came close, it triggered something strange within her. A happiness like she had never felt before, and an excitement that she had only experienced when being saved by Tuxedo Mask.

"Shouldn't you be home now? It's getting late. Won't your parents be worried? I'm worried. It will be cold and dark soon." Darien continued to have his one-sided conversation. A part of him hoped that even though she couldn't hear him, maybe he would be able to subconsciously implant the thoughts into her mind. No luck. She continued to absentmindedly sit and stare. After a while, she turned her attention to the gold star locket in her hands. A single tear fell from her eyes as she gently stroked along the edge of one of the points.

"Your eyes look so sad. Why are you crying?" Darien asked. A feeling of concern washed over him as he knelt down in front of Serena. He reached his hand up to brush her tears away, but Serena hastily rubbed her eyes with the back of her hands and sniffled before he had the chance to comfort her. Putting the locket back into its pouch, she gingerly pulled on the draw strings and placed it back in her book bag. She didn't want to cry any more. To be honest, she wasn't too sure why she was so emotional at that moment. It must have been the residual flashbacks and memories from her past life overwhelming her once again.

"Are you thinking of me?" Darien reached out his hand. He paused for a moment, remembering that he couldn't actually touch her. Withdrawing his hand he simply kneeled and watched with intent as her eyes glazed over with more tears, threatening to fall from her face. To his surprise, she lifted her gaze and stared directly into his eyes.

"Yes, you idiot. I'm thinking of you."

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Oh, the intrigue ^_^ Ok, so a little slow to start off with, but all my stories are. Please review and let me know what you think. Happy Valentine's Day to all you beautiful people, see you next week.

_**Crystal Saturn**__**  
**_


	3. The Beautiful Letdown

As promised, another chapter. It's a bittersweet occasion as I've finally finished my other story _**Only in My Dreams,**_and will be posting the final chapter later tonight. But I guess that's a good thing. It'll give me more time to focus on this story, and I have university starting next week *sob*. As I announced last week that I had run out of inspiration for any new stories, I thought up two more within the week. Funny how muses and fate works sometimes. But alas...

_**Thank you to:**_ Usako, Moon Princess Selene, Scarlet L, DeeDee, Stacey, CCFan4Life, life705, The Cuteness, Miss Katrina Malfoy, CharmedSerenity3, TropicalRemix, SerentiyMoonGodness, merangelgal _**and**_ SulliMike23 _**for reviewing my previous chapter**_

This chapter is for **Goddess of the Moonlit Sky** who has been a long time reviewer of _Only in My Dreams_among many of my other stories. Thank you for all the lovely reviews you've given me these past 6-7 years.

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**Title:** Akai Ito  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:**  
**Chapter:** 3- The Beautiful Letdown

"_It was a beautiful letdown__  
__When I crashed and burned__  
__When I found myself alone__  
__Unknown and hurt"_

"Wait, you can see me. You can see me!" Darien jumped to his feet and pointed at Serena accusingly. "How long have you been able to see me? It was this whole time wasn't it?"

"Yes." Serena nodded, attempting to blink her tears away.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I wasn't sure if it was really you. You're supposed to be in hospital. I thought I just hadn't gotten enough sleep and was seeing things." She shrugged as she rose to her feet and picked up her book bag. It was time for her to head home.

"Wait, where are you going? You can see me! That's fantastic. You can help me find my body." Darien chased after Serena and attempted to grab hold of her hand, only succeeding to swipe through it.

"You're at the hospital, Darien. Apparently the police found your body at the Starlight Tower. They said you're in stable condition." Serena slowly began to shuffle her way home.

"You have to take me there. I have to get back into my body."

"I can't, not right now. It's getting late. I have to get home." Serena clenched her hands into fists. She wasn't ready to see him yet. Not in that state at least, especially since she felt responsible for leaving him behind. "How did you even manage to get separated from your body?"

"I guess it was the Silver Crystal. When the real Starlight Tower began to separate from the Dark Kingdom realm there must have been a shift in space and time. I guess it happened just as I… well… was supposed to die."

"You're not meant to die." Serena muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" Darien matched Serena's pace just as she shook her head to dismiss her comment. "I think the question is: Why is it that only you that can see me?"

"_Akai Ito_." Serena whispered as her face became flushed. She reached for her key and unlocked the front door to her house.

"A-what?" Darien questioned as he eyed the front door suspiciously.

"Are you going to come in?" The short blonde school girl slipped her feet out of her school shoes and into a pair of pink bunny slippers. "Or would you prefer to go back to your apartment?"

"I can't, well, do anything. I can't touch anything or talk to anyone other than you. Would it be awkward if I stayed with you tonight? If you're uncomfortable with it I can leave. I guess I can head back to my apartment. I'd have to take the stairs though. I wouldn't be able to press any buttons in the elevator."

"You can stay." A crimson hue stained Serena's cheeks at the thought of a boy being in her room. "But please, come in quickly. If someone walked past I'd look like an idiot standing here talking to myself." She ushered the man inside and closed the door behind them. Serena watched with amusement as Darien took off his shoes out of habit. He slid his feet into a pair of slippers only to walk away without them.

"This is going to take a little getting used to." He sighed as he stared down at his semi-transparent feet.

* * *

Later that evening, Darien kept himself occupied in Serena's room as she bounced downstairs for dinner. He found that as a phantom he did not need to do the usual things to keep his body functioning, like eating and sleeping. Oddly enough, he also discovered that although he could not reach out and move an object, he could in fact, still sit and hover over furniture. With a little leap, he found himself wedged in the space between the ceiling and the roof. With great effort, he could eventually push his way through walls. It seemed that the difference between him gliding effortlessly through a window and struggling through a brick wall was the density of the object he was moving through. Glancing down as he jumped on the spot, he discovered that his feet never touched the ground. An invisible blanket of air prevented him from making contact with the floor.

He rolled about on Serena's bed. Not a crease in the sheets. He launched himself off of Serena's bed and found himself tumbling through her bedroom door and down the hallway. Losing his balance as he tried to stand on his feet, Darien tripped near the stairs and fell through the handrail. His apparition fell from the second storey of the house, into the dining room area and at Serena's feet. She gasped in shock as he landed in silence; face down, under the dinner table.

"Serena, are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost." Her mother, Ilene, looked up from her plate. All eyes were on the nervous girl as everyone at the table had stopped eating and focused their attention on Serena. She paled and swallowed the lump in her throat as Darien groaned and began to stir. He rose to his feet and found himself standing through the middle of the dining table. His crotch region hovered within the bowl of mashed potato.

"I umm… I'm not all that hungry anymore." Serena smiled politely as she tried to converse with her mother through Darien's translucent abdomen. She gritted her teeth as she excused herself from the table and headed upstairs, into her room. Darien followed behind her silently.

"What were you doing?" Serena hissed as she shut her bedroom door behind them.

"I was just… experimenting. Seeing what I can do in this form." Darien shrugged sheepishly. "Sorry Dumpling Head." He reached out and attempted to affectionately squeeze one of her hair buns. She swatted at his hand in annoyance.

"Why are you still calling me that?" She pouted, sitting on her bed with a bounce. "Don't you… remember?"

"Remember what?" He took a seat on her study chair.

"Well, everything. The battle at the Starlight Tower, the Rainbow Crystals merging into the Silver Crystal… who the princess is?" Serena paused as she chose her words carefully.

"Yes, I remember everything." Darien glanced over at the seemingly nervous girl. "Including our past lives." He confirmed her suspicions. Serena began to blush profusely as visions of their past, passionate relationship flashed through her mind. Memories implanted in her mind from the Silver Crystal.

"What about Rei? Isn't she your girlfriend?" Serena subconsciously began to chew on her bottom lip in nervousness. An odd feeling began to manifest itself within her chest. It made her feel uneasy and rather melancholy all of a sudden.

"I never actually thought of Rei as my girlfriend. I guess it never really struck me that she would think of me as her Boyfriend. I mean, it was never really official or anything. She just seemed to like my company and often needed someone to accompany her to galleries and such. I never really had the heart to tell her that I was too busy, and to be totally honest, I thought we were both only doing it to make you jealous." Serena looked away in an attempt to hide her embarrassment at such a topic of conversation. A part of her felt that she was betraying her friend, and yet being with Darien felt right. It was fate after all.

"I see." She struggled to think of a response to break the awkward silence that had ensued.

"Look, Serena, just because we were lovers in a previous life, it doesn't mean it has to be that way in this life too. We can choose our own destiny. Maybe in the Silver Millennium, we were destined to be married, but today, we barely even know enough about each other to be friends. Sere, don't feel pressured into feeling like you suddenly have to pick up where we left off thousands of years ago. We're both different people now."

"Is that how you feel? That we're different from our former selves? That we're different people?" Serena crossed her arms in an attempt to still her trembling hands. All this time she had hoped that Darien would remember his love for her, like she had for him, but it wasn't to play out like that. The battle at the Starlight Tower, the Silver Crystal revealing itself and restoring their memories, none of it had made a difference to him. She was still plain old Dumpling Head to him. The ditzy school girl dressed in a pretty Sailor Soldier suit.

"Yes. Don't you? Don't you want to break away from the past, the princess, and just be you? Don't you find it slightly weird that one day we're teasing each other like usual and the next day we're meant to be a couple?" Darien raised an eyebrow dubiously. An intense silence filled the air for a second as Serena began to squirm and fumble with her bed sheets. She stood up briefly as she turned down her bed and sat back down, wriggling under the sheets. Glancing back at the shadowy form of the man beside her, she noticed that he was still waiting for an answer.

"Darien, I believe in _Akai Ito_." She smiled quietly as she turned off her bedside lamp and pulled the covers over her head, hoping to hide the tears forming in her eyes and muffle the sound of her disappointment.

"Red thread? What's that supposed to mean?" Darien attempted to nudge the hiding girl, unsuccessfully.

"Good night, Darien."

* * *

. . .

A bit of a boring bridging chapter, but now we've explored a little more into Darien's spiritness, and the current state of the Sere/Dar relationship. Next chapter will include an appearance from the red string itself... Until then, please Review!

_**Crystal Saturn**_


	4. Awakening

Here's another (short) chapter that will shed a tiny bit of light on the legend of Akai Ito.

_**Thanks to:**_Jessica, ScarletL, Stacey, Moon Princess Selene, Usako, TamoumatheStarWarrior, Miss Katrina Malfoy, merangelgal, Jenbunny, CharmedSerenity3, SerentiyMoonGodness _**and**_ SulliMike23 _**for reviewing the previous chapter. xx**_

This chapter is for **merangelgal**! Thank you for reading and reviewing my stories for the past 4 or 5 years. You've left many comments of support and I truly appreciate it :) Thanks again, this one's for you.

* * *

**Title:** Akai Ito  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated: **T  
**Chapter:** 4- Awakening

_"I wanna wake up kicking and screaming  
I wanna live like I know what I'm leaving  
I wanna know that my heart's still beating"_

Serena awoke to the sight of Darien at the end of her bed, staring straight at her. Feeling a little self conscious, she raised her hands up to her hair and began to run her fingers through her locks, combing out any large knots and patting down any frizzy bits.

"Did you watch me sleep all night?" She groaned as she stifled a yawn and noted that the clock read six in the morning. Grunting once again, she decided it was too early in the morning to be conversing with spooks.

"Yes and no. I played a little Sudoku." Darien shrugged as he continued to watch the disheveled girl cease all attempts to make herself look a little more presentable and slump back into the warmth of her sheets. He frowned and made his way to her side. Leaning over her, he whispered into her ear to rouse her once again. "Sere, wake up."

"Nyaaaaghh" Serena pouted as she felt a cool tingle against her ear. "Stop it. It's too early."

"You've got school today, and I'd like to visit myself in the hospital before then. And by _'I'_, I mean _'we'_. I need you to open elevators and push buttons."

"Can't you just fall through the walls like you did last night?" Serena groaned loudly as she threw the pillow over her head to muffle the sound of his voice. He poked his head through the pillow, sticking it half way into the side of her face.

"Serena." He whispered.

"Ow! Stop yelling!" She pulled away, realizing that he was in her ear. She removed her pillow in irritation and threw it at him. It hit the wall behind the silhouetted man. Sighing in frustration, she picked up her towel and headed toward the shower. "Don't you dare start _experimenting_ again. Stay in here and just sit still this time. The last thing I need is to have you _accidentally _fall into my shower."

Darien smirked, a mischievous twinkle sparkled in his eyes.

* * *

The scent of disinfectant and lukewarm hospital food filled the corridors as they walked through, passing several numbered rooms.

"709. This is it." Serena looked at the grey door anxiously. Darien passed her as he pushed through and fell into the room. Moments passed as Serena continued to stare at the door. Her feet seemed to be firmly rooted to the ground where she stood.

"What are you doing?" Darien poked his head back through the door.

"Nothing." Serena stuttered nervously. "I guess I'm just preparing myself. I'm not a huge fan of gory injuries and I feel queasy at the sight of blood."

"It's not that bad, really. If you want, you can wait out here." Darien withdrew his head. A chill ran through Serena's body as she attempted to collect her wits about her. She would go in. She had to see him, to see what state he was in. Wringing her hands together anxiously, she decided she was ready to reach for the door handle.

The soft beeping of Darien's vitals monitor echoed through the minimally furnished room. Serena stared with her jaw wide open in mortification at the scene before her. Darien's skin seemed so pale in comparison to the scarlet scars that streaked across his face. Bruises marked his arms and his right shoulder was heavily bandaged. To top it off, there was his spirit form, standing on top of the chair beside him, ready to literally dive back into his own body.

"What are you doing? Stop that!" Serena hissed as she checked to see if anybody else was nearby before closing the door.

"Why? No one else can see me, and besides, I have to figure out a way to get back in there." He attempted to slide into his body since the dive was rendered futile. Serena watched in dismay as Darien's spirit floated about, attempting in every way that he could think of to fuse back into his body. He jumped into it, floated through it, fell on top of it, slid across it and lay within it for a while. Nothing seemed to work.

Serena focused her attention to his battered and bruised body. He seemed so peaceful in his serene unconscious state. A contrast to the superficial wounds displayed all over his body. As he lay motionless on the bed, he reminded her more of the stern, silent protector; Tuxedo Mask. He and Darien seemed like two different people at times. Darien used to tease and mock her in a condescending manner every chance he could. Tuxedo mask was different. He would always come to her rescue. He was gentle and supporting. A part of Serena had hoped that her prince from the Silver Millennium was somehow trapped in Darien's body, along with Tuxedo Mask. She leaned across and took a hold of his hand.

"What- What are you doing?" Darien's spirit form paused in mid leap. He turned his gaze to Serena's hand. She had rested it on his physical hand and was holding it gently.

"I umm… Sorry." Serena removed her hand swiftly and placed them behind her back in embarrassment. Darien frowned as he glanced down at his own semi-transparent hand.

"No, do that again." His head shot up as he watched Serena gingerly place her hand back on top of his. "I can feel that." He added in astonishment as he began to feel a gentle warmth spreading across his right hand. It tingled ever so lightly. A few moments passed and the tingling subsided. Darien watched as the end of a thin red string began to materialize through the sheet near the foot of his physical form. He rubbed his eyes before watching as the red string grew longer, glowing brightly. "What is that?" He pointed, directing Serena's attention to the base of the bed.

"What's what?" Serena looked around but couldn't find anything unusual.

"There's something there." Darien leapt to Serena's side, noticing that the glowing red line was swiftly making its way toward her. It crept up against her foot before wrapping around her right ankle.

"I don't see anything." Serena glanced about her, lifting up her feet to check that she wasn't stepping on anything. The string seemed to stretch and grow, making concessions for her every movement. She checked to see if there was anything at the end of Darien's bed by tugging on the end of the hospital bed sheet. A fleeting glance of Darien's exposed his feet revealed to him the other end of the red line, which was tied around his ankle. Serena shrugged and tucked the sheets back in. "There's nothing there."

"It's a thin red string…" Darien's voice faded as he realized why it sounded so familiar to him. _Akai Ito_. "Serena, what is Akai Ito?"

"It's an old folktale. A popular legend in some places. The red string of fate, or the thread of destiny." She lowered her gaze as she felt the blood begin to rise to her cheeks. "They say that there's an old lunar matchmaker god called Yuelao. He ties an invisible red string around the ankles of men and women who are destined to be soul mates and someday marry each other. The belief is that an invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break."

"I see." Darien glanced down at the red line connecting his body to Serena.

"It's just a myth though." Serena lifted her hands to either side of her face in an attempt to mask her rosy cheeks and giggled in an innocent, immature teenage girl way. Darien's appearance remained solemn as he continued to stare.

"I think I just became a believer."

* * *

. . .

That's it for another week. I've just started University for the year, this week, so chapters may be short… but they will definitely be consistently posted every week. I've also got the idea for another story floating around being written bit by bit. It's a funny one and yes, once again, Darien will probably be pretty clueless haha. So between studies, watching Sailor Moon R, reading the Lord of the Rings, working through my Akai Ito writer's block, fixing up The Jinxed Journey and penning down new story ideas, I haven't had much time to enjoy the change of seasons. But anyway, please REVIEW :) and I will see you all next week.

_**Crystal Saturn**_


	5. Something More

Another week, another chapter, as promised. Many dramas, on top of uni work this week! A close friend of mine lost her mother suddenly, only 2 days ago. We're all still in shock. I didn't know her very well, but I just wanted to mention her this week, to show my respect, and to immortalize her in some way. So, Rest in Peace Audrey.

_**Thank you to:**_ Tam-chan (TamoumatheStarWarrior), Kiwi-margarita, CharmedSerenity3, Miss Katrina Malfoy, life705, Stacey, Usako, Brizzy, SerentiyMoonGodness, Moon Princess Selene, Jessica, SulliMike23, UniversalBunny _**and **_Jenbunny, _**for reviewing the previous chapter.**_

I'd like to dedicate this chapter to **Miss Katrina Malfoy. **Who, over the span of five or so years, has left many humorous and supportive (and maybe a couple frustrated) reviews. I watched _Just Like Heaven_like you told me to. You were right, I enjoyed it, haha!

* * *

**Title:** Akai Ito  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 5- Something More

_"There's gotta be something more than what I'm living for__  
__I'm crying out to you"_

The following day, Serena roused at the sound of her alarm clock blaring at six in the morning. She groggily sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes slowly. Reaching out for the alarm clock, she pressed the little red button and slowly proceeded to lazily tumble out of bed.

"Why did you set your alarm so early?" Darien glanced up from her desk chair. He had a deck of cards spread out in a muddle on her desk in front of him.

"I'm going to the hospital again this morning." Serena stepped into her slippers and shuffled to her wardrobe, pulling out her school uniform. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to move things. I could feel when you held my hand yesterday, and you seem to be able to sense when I'm nearby. The locket closed when I touched it. Maybe, if I concentrate hard enough, I might be able to start moving things. I managed to shift a few cards earlier, but it seems I can only move paper objects, and that's it." Darien turned his head only to realize that Serena had already walked out of the room to take a shower. "We're going to have to work on this communication thing." He called out after her before mumbling to himself. "Especially if we're destined to be married."

* * *

"I don't get why we're here." Darien took large strides to keep up with Serena's pace as they walked side by side down the hospital corridor. He conveniently hovered right through a wheelchair and a refreshment cart. "I thought we had already established that I can't get back into my body in the conventional ways. We've tried it already."

"We're not here to try again. We're… I'm here to visit you." Serena frowned at the complexity of the deceivingly simple sounding sentence. It seemed that a part of her had identified Darien's spirit as a separate entity from Darien's body. It was as if Darien's body contained within it the part of Darien that was her prince, Tuxedo Mask, her past fiancé and love of her life. Whereas, spirit Darien seemed to be the colder, harsher pre-Silver Crystal Darien Chiba of the present that constantly teased her. In a way, she felt as though she was mourning the loss of her beloved prince and protector. Seeing his physical form gave her hope that maybe that lost part of Darien would return if he woke up.

"I don't understand. I'm right here. If you haven't already noticed, my body isn't really in any shape to be conversing with you when it's lying there unconscious." The couple stopped at the front of Darien's room.

"Darien, can you please wait outside? I'd like some private time." Serena turned towards the perplexed looking spirit, only to see an elderly hospital patient through his body. She looked at the young school girl strangely as she shuffled back into her ward.

"Are you kidding me? But that's my body. You're going in there to see me." Darien smacked his hand against his forehead in frustration. Serena simply eyed him down as she entered and closed the door behind her.

She proceeded to slowly walk further into the room and sat down by the comatose body of Darien Chiba. Meanwhile a mischievous thought ran through spirit Darien's mind as he waited obediently outside. Ever so gently, he peeked his head into the room, observing Serena's form facing away from the door.

"Darien, if you can hear me, please wake up." She pleaded quietly. As he leant in, attempting to hear what she was saying, Darien began to feel his hand tingle with warmth again. She was holding the hand of his physical form. "It's not like you're not around, but you're not quite you. I thought that if you woke up, you'd remember our past. I thought that maybe you would have the same feelings about me, as I do about you. I miss you. I know we never dated in this life, but I remember what it was like when we did in our past life. I liked it, I miss it. I want it back. You said we are different people now, but my heart tells me that my prince is still somewhere in you."

Darien withdrew his head from within the room. His curiosity had gotten the better of him and now he knew why she wanted to be alone. It made sense now. Why she wanted to see him and what she meant when she said she believed in _Akai Ito_. He now knew exactly how she felt about him and he began to pace up and down the corridor as he attempted to figure out and decipher his mind's mixed feelings for the young teen.

On one hand he firmly believed in controlling his own destiny. After all, what was the purpose of life if every aspect of it was predetermined? On the other hand, he had seen the red thread with his own eyes and it did explain why every part of him, in both civilian and hero form was drawn to Serena. His logical mind protested and rejected the thought of him having no choice in the matter of who he was allowed to love.

Although he attempted in every way to assess his emotions in a logical and methodical manner, he was too smart and knew it would be pointless to challenge the feelings he felt whenever Serena was around. He couldn't help but let his guard down around her. She brought colour to his world and excitement into his otherwise mundane introverted life. As Darien paced about outside his room, he came to the conclusion that he was not going to give up the fight to forge his own destiny, but conceded that he was happy that Serena was a part of it. Still, there was something in the way that she spoke to his unconscious self that made his heart pang with an unfamiliar emotion. Was it guilt? Maybe jealousy? The steel door handle twitched and turned as the short blonde school girl quietly slipped out of the room.

"It's time to go. I don't want to be late for school." She smiled even though it was evident she had recently been crying.

* * *

Serena felt her focus begin to slip as she stared out of the classroom window. She had absolutely no interest in Shakespeare and didn't understand why it was written so differently and yet still considered as English. As far as she was concerned, she was grateful to have not been alive in Shakespeare's period. No one seemed to ever come out of a play alive.

"Serena, please read out the part of Ophelia from where we left off." Ms. Haruna noticed the lack of focus coming from the school girl.

"I um…" Serena looked down at her playbook frantically. She hadn't paid any attention whatsoever and glanced around in an attempt to see what page everybody else had turned to.

"Next page. Line 43." Darien glanced over her shoulder briefly as he strolled up and down the classroom.

"Thanks." Serena whispered under her breath and gave the otherwise invisible man a quick smile of gratitude. To her and Ms. Haruna's astonishment, Serena found the correct place and began to read her part out loud. She read her lines until the end of the scene when Ms. Haruna assigned another student to pick up where she had left off. Almost immediately, Serena turned her gaze out the window once more.

"Stay focused. You'll get yourself in trouble again." Darien strolled toward her from the front of the classroom.

"It sucks. I don't understand it."She pouted and crossed her arms in protest. "Stupid Shakespeare."

"What did you say, Serena?" Ms. Haruna stopped the class, and all eyes focused on the airy, blushing blonde. Unbeknownst to them all, Ami had been watching Serena's strange behavior for a while now. It concerned her that Serena seemed to be having a bit of a conversation with herself in whispered tones almost inaudible to anybody around her.

"N-nothing. Sorry, continue." Serena smiled sheepishly as Darien approached and stood beside her.

"The play is about Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark." Darien knelt down beside Serena and began to explain the story of Hamlet. "His father, the King, dies and his uncle Claudius marries his widowed mother to claim the throne. The ghost of his dead father comes back to tell Hamlet that Uncle Claudius murdered him. Hamlet pretends to go a little crazy in an attempt to find out the truth to the rumor of his fathers' murder. Ophelia is his girlfriend at the time. You just read out the part where Hamlet broke off their relationship because he discovers she's been spying on him. He eventually kills her father, and she goes crazy."

'_Almost everyone dies in the end, don't they?' _Serena jotted down on her paper pad for Darien to read. He shot her a broad grin and nodded.

"But it's a good scene. There's a fencing match with poison tipped swords. There's poisoned wine and revelations of murder and conspiracy. It's great!" Darien struggled to contain his increasing excitement. Serena couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. She had never seen him so animated. He was a nerd and she found it cute.

'_You explain it so much better.'_ Serena scribbled and she watched his eyes light up in mirth.

With a little more understanding of the play, Serena turned her attention to the text in front of her in an attempt to decipher the poetic language. Ghosts, murder conspiracies, star crossed lovers. It all seemed to hit a little close to home. She glanced up briefly to see that Darien was watching her intently.

"I can't believe my eyes. You're actually reading. You're reading a book. It's Shakespeare." He leaned over her desk just to make sure that there wasn't any manga hidden away between the pages. She crossed her arms and pouted at him like a petulant child. He let out a gentle laugh as he observed her change of emotions. A ruby coloured hue stained Serena's cheeks at the sound of his amusement. She felt her pout soon dissolve into a small bashful smile. It seemed to make her feel light and lifted her mood when he laughed. She liked it.

'_Thank you for helping me understand. You're a great teacher.'_ She jotted down on the pad.

"You'd be surprised at how much you've taught _me _in the past few days, Dumpling Head."

"You know I hate it when you call me that"

* * *

. . .

So, that's it for another week. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review and share your thoughts ^_^ I will see you all next week!

_**Crystal Saturn**_


	6. 4:12

Busy busy busy! Added another one of my fanfictions to my list of fanfics to refurbish. I have a strange feeling that I'm starting to juggle a little too much on my plate now haha. Especially now that I've added 'regular exercise' to my daily regime. Gotta look after the health! ^_^

_**Special Thanks to:**_ Merangelgal, TaliMoonAngel668, ScarletL, Stacey, Miss Katrina Malfoy, CharmedSerenity3, SerentiyMoonGodness, life705, UniversalBunny, Tam-chan (TamoumatheStarWarrior), Jenbunny, Moon Princess Selene, Usako, TropicalRemix_** and **_SulliMike23 _**for reviewing the previous chapter.**_

I'm going to do something different this week and instead of dedicating this chapter to a long-time supporter and reviewer, I'd like to dedicate this week's chapter to one of my newest readers who I affectionately call 'Tam-chan', but is more commonly known as **TamoumatheStarWarrior.** She leaves some of the loveliest comments and such supportive words of encouragement. She's just such a lovely person to talk to and has a number of Card Captor Sakura fanfics written that I will one day get around to reading. Tam-chan, you're awesome! ^_^

* * *

**Title:** Akai Ito  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 6- 4:12

_"I'm so sorry I've been so down  
I started doubting things could ever turn around  
But I still can't believe that all we are  
And that all of our dreams are nothing more than material"_

The crimson digits glowed brightly in the dark corner of Serena's room. _4:12 _they read. Darien ran his translucent hand through the flame of the small tea candle that he had asked Serena to light for him earlier. The flame flickered in response to his touch. He attempted once more to shift the tin base of the candle unsuccessfully. He sighed in boredom and frustration. Spirits did not need to sleep. This left Darien with eight hours every night with nothing to do. He gave up attempting to remember his number placements in Sudoku. It was almost impossible to play without a pen. He could turn the pages of books, but unfortunately, Serena did not own any. Most nights Darien roamed the streets and watched the sunrise. Tonight, he didn't feel like going out. It was cold and lonely out there, and he wanted to be close to her.

As he watched Serena sleeping peacefully, a stray thought entered his mind. He wondered what it would be like to be sleeping under those sheets, next to her. She looked so peaceful and comfortable. Since becoming a spirit, Darien had felt perpetually cold, yet Serena seemed to radiate constant warmth. Sometimes it was almost like he could feel her. He stood from the desk chair and made his way past her side table. His fingers grazed against the star locket. It triggered the mechanisms within as the dome lid flipped open and the familiar melody began to play.

"Darien?" Serena stirred in her sleep. She watched wearily as he reached out and closed the dome of the golden locket. "You can touch it. You moved it. Can you move things now?"

"No." Darien stated simply. "I still can't move anything other than paper. For some reason, the star locket is the only thing that reacts to my touch."

"It can sense you. It is a part of our past. It's _Akai Ito_." Serena gazed sleepily at the locket. "Sorry, I forgot." She blushed and retreated further under her sheets. "You don't believe in that."

"I didn't say I didn't believe in it, Sere."

"But you said you wanted to choose your fate and create your own destiny. That includes who you love, right? That locket plays only for us; our past and present selves. For some reason, only I can see you, and the locket senses you too. If you're such a firm believer in choosing your own destiny, then how can you say you believe in _Akai Ito_, the predetermined destiny of two soul mates?" Serena wearily sat up in her bed and shuffled around her quilt cover.

"I… I don't know. It's all very confusing. We shared some wonderful experiences in our past lives, but what do we share in this life? I just don't like the idea of having the person I'm supposed to love for the rest of my life chosen for me. Don't I get a say in all this?" Darien paced about in frustration.

"I see…" Serena pulled her covers up over a chest, almost to protect herself. "I'm not good enough for you, am I, Darien?"

"I didn't say that, Serena." Darien sighed in frustration. He didn't want to upset her, but he felt the need to express his honest opinion. Someone had to be the voice of reason and rationality.

"Yes, you did." Serena shot back defensively, attempting to stifle sobs. She didn't really know why she was crying. A part of her knew that Darien was right. After all, she wasn't really in love with him, but with Prince Endymion from her past, or so she thought. Yet it was one of the hardest things she had had to deal with since the Silver Crystal revealed their identities. They were lovers in a previous life, yet he didn't want her in this one. It wasn't easy for her. It never is when a relationship goes wrong. When somebody falls out of love, it's almost impossible for it to be truly amicable. It's almost unheard of to simply withdraw your heart from a love so deep, and expect to not have hers follow. Surely his heart, just like hers, still fluttered every time their eyes met, right? It couldn't be all just in her head, could it? Would fate be so cruel as to reunite two lovers all these years later, only to have one break the heart of the other?

Ah, there it was. The true meaning behind her tears. She was wrong. It _was_ love she felt for him after all.

"Look Serena, it's evident that I will always be drawn to you. I will always be there to protect you. Something keeps bringing us together. Whether it is fate or not, I don't know, but I'm not like you. I don't have very many friends. I don't have a loving family to come home to every day. I'm independent, I live alone and I like it that way. In my life, I've made all my own decisions and I'm comfortable with that. I like having choices and I like doing things my way. I've never needed anybody else."

"Well then why are you here, Darien? If you're so independent then why are you following me around everywhere? What makes you think I _want_ you around, Darien? Don't _I _get a choice too?" Serena glared stubbornly.

"Of course you get a choice. I don't_ need_ to be around you, Dumpling Head, but you're the only one who can see me."

"Well how convenient for you then." Serena hissed. "Guess what Darien? I don't _need_ to be around you either, and right now, I don't _want_ to be around you. So if I don't need you here and you don't need to be here, then what's stopping you from just leaving?"

Darien looked down at Serena's feet. A sliver of red light shone beneath her covers. His gaze followed the path of the light as it fell off her bed and cast a winding path across her bedroom floor and out the window. Was she right? Was he not the same Darien that lay unconscious on the hospital bed? The invisible red string that was tied around her ankle didn't also tie around his foot. It didn't unite them at all. It symbolized a bond between the other Darien, his physical self, and her. So where did that leave him? Who was he and why did he not also have his own red string?

"You're right." Darien lowered his head and followed her little red string. "I'll leave you alone." And with that, Darien chased the string and wafted through her window. As he reached the street below, he could hear the gentle melody of the star locket pierce through the silence of the night. Looking back up at Serena's balcony, Darien couldn't help but feel a sense of loss and regret. The light in his life had all but diminished. As he walked by the glowing red thread, he relived their last conversation in his mind. He cringed at his use of words and mentally corrected himself in an attempt to find the words that he should've said. The ones that he wanted to say.

"I just don't like the idea of having the person I'm supposed to love for the rest of my life chosen for me. _I, present day Darien, want to be the one to choose you, Serena_."

"Of course you get a choice. I don'tneed to be around you_, _Dumpling Head, _but I want to_."

"I'm independent; I've never needed anybody else_… until now."_

He remembered all the same things that she did. All the memories from the past, he remembered them too. The love they shared for one another, the countless conversations, the endless embraces. He remembered them all. But it wasn't him. It wasn't them now. Although he was attracted to Serena and cared for her deeply, he cursed fate for not allowing them time to explore their own present day feelings for one another. He wanted her to fall in love with him all over again, for who he was now. Although there was no red string attached to his foot, Darien knew that there was one connecting him to Serena, and even if he didn't believe in _Akai Ito_, it was undeniable that he still felt something for the blonde teenager. He enjoyed being around her and pushing her buttons. He enjoyed hearing her laugh and the way her eyes lit up at the sight of sweets. More than anything else though, he loved knowing that she believed in _Akai Ito_.

Sure, his lips tingled enticingly every time she was close, and his arms ached to hold her gently as he watched her sleep, but he knew that it wasn't right. It was too much, too fast. It wasn't possible for a person to fall in love so quickly, was it?

As day broke and the sun climbed ever higher into the morning sky, the birds chirped their morning symphony. Serena roused groggily from her slumber. As her vision became less blurry, she was greeted with the most curious sight. Twenty-four red paper origami roses lay before her on her bed.

* * *

. . .

That's all for this week. See you all next week. Please read and review!

_**Crystal Saturn**_


	7. Amateur Lovers

It's that time of the week again! Here's the latest chapter.

_**Special Thanks to:**_ Tam-chan, life705, deedee, Usako, TaliMoonAngel668, Jessica, Jenbunny, SulliMike23, SerentiyMoonGodness, UniversalBunny, TropicalRemix, CharmedSerenity3, Moon Princess Selene, Stacey, IsadoraKayStone, Miss Katrina Malfoy _**and**_ merangelgal _**for reviewing the previous chapter.**_

This chapter is for long time reviewer, **TropicalRemix**, who has been eagerly reviewing many many many of my chapters and stories since '05. I hope you enjoy this chapter and I thank you for your support over the years!

* * *

**Title:** Akai Ito  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 7- Amateur Lovers

_"We don't know what we're doing  
We do it again  
We're just amateur lovers  
With amateur friends"_

"I'm sorry." Darien cautiously entered the room. He smiled at the sight of Serena pressing the paper bouquet of roses up to her nose for a sniff. "I don't know if I believe in _Akai Ito_ or fate or any of that other stuff." Darien sat down at the edge of Serena's bed. "But I'm willing to try."

"The roses smell wonderful." Serena beamed joyfully before sobering a little. "I'm sorry too. I understand you should be free to love whoever you like." She caressed a rosebud, gently tugging and playing with its paper petals. "Besides, I'm totally not your type. And you're probably too old to be my boyfriend anyway." Serena giggled nervously and thrust her right hand out in front of her. "Friends?"

Darien looked down at her hand uneasily. His stomach squelched at her offer of friendship. He had spent the night thinking about her. He couldn't help himself. No matter how hard he tried to push all thoughts of her out of his mind, everything around him seemed to point back to her. As he lay back on a park bench and looked up at the dark night sky, he relinquished control of his mind and allowed thoughts and memories of both Serena and Sailor Moon drift about freely. He had saved her so many times. Protecting her came so naturally to him, so much so that it was not something he_ had_ to do anymore; it was something that he _wanted _to do. The more he thought about her, the more he came to realize just how important she was to him. It started to become quite evident that he thought about her on a day-to-day basis more than he realized, or cared to admit.

So her offer came as a surprise to him. It caught him off guard. He wasn't expecting Serena to back down from her beliefs, or to suddenly become so reasonable, but at least she wasn't angry at him anymore. He just didn't think it would hurt so much. Why did she change her mind? Did she come realize that she didn't have feelings for him anymore? The sickening feeling of rejection made his heart drop within his chest and his stomach churn, but what could he do? He was the one who had tried to convince her that fate didn't exist.

Slowly, he raised his hand and reached for Serena's. They both attempted to shake the air in front of them in agreement.

"Good! Now I have to go get ready for school." Serena set aside her bouquet of roses on to her bedside table and headed into the bathroom.

* * *

"If you want, we can go down to the hospital tomorrow to see how you're going." Serena avoided her usual table and sat alone under a large maple tree with Darien during lunch time. "And maybe we can go to the arcade afterwards. I keep getting stuck at level 5 of that new Sailor V game, but I think I know how I can get through it this time…"

"Serena, can we have a chat with you?" Lita approached slowly. She was surprised when Serena smiled happily and greeted her in an overly bubbly manner.

"Sure! What's up guys?" She beamed as Lita and Ami sat down on the grass beside her.

"Well, I and the other sailor soldiers have been discussing everything that has been happening lately and we're very concerned." Ami began quietly. "You were very angry at us for leaving Tuxedo Mask behind and you haven't spoken to us since the Starlight Tower battle."

"Oh, that." Serena shrugged and continued to smile. "No it's ok. I understand. You thought he was taken by the Dark Kingdom. I'm sure it was an honest mistake."

"Frankly, Serena we're all a little concerned about you. You've been acting very strangely lately. I can understand the past few days have been very stressful for you, what with you finding out that you're the Moon Princess, and… everything with Darien…" Lita's voice trailed off for a while before she picked up her train of thought again, "Have you gone to see him yet? It must hurt you so much…"

"Thank you for your concern Lita, but I'm fine. I've gone to see him. He looks… fine. He's strong, I'm sure he'll recover well."

"You should probably know there are rumors spreading around about you Serena. People have been saying that you've been talking to yourself. It's not a good sign. Usually, as your friends we'd be more than happy to ignore and shrug off these rumors, but we've also noticed that you're not quite yourself lately. Please talk to us if you need to get anything off your chest. We're all here to help you and support you." Ami pleaded eagerly.

"Ami, please." Serena continued to smile warmly, shaking off her friends' concern. "I'm really fine. I've just had a lot to think about. Thank you both, but I really am coping well. Truly!" Serena watched Darien hover through the tree across the field. He had left to give them privacy. She smiled at how considerate he had been. "Now, if you'd please excuse me, I have a day of fun activities to plan for tomorrow."

"Serena, we seriously need to talk about your role as the Moon Princess. We need to defeat the Dark Kingdom before they get too powerful." Ami reminded. "We should have a sailor soldier meeting to discuss our next plan of attack. Also, I was approached by those two police detectives… They asked me about you."

"Ami, you're a good friend. I trust you. I haven't heard from those two detectives since that day, so I'm sure whatever you said to them convinced them of my innocence, and the Dark Kingdom can wait a day or two, right?" Serena let out a soft chuckle. Her indifference to such serious matters concerned her friends. It was unlike Serena to be so blasé about such serious matters as being arrested. What had changed within her? Was she losing her mind? "Come on guys, I just found out that I'm the Moon Princess we've been searching for this whole time. Give me a break. I need some time to adjust. Besides, I'm busy tomorrow. I want to spend the day with Darien."

"With… Darien?" Lita tilted her head in confusion. "Have you been spending all your time at the hospital?"

"N-no… I-I didn't mean Darien. I mean… I have to go, class is about to start." Serena leaped up nervously, smiled at her fellow soldiers and skipped toward the tree at the other end of the field where she seemed to initiate a conversation with herself.

"I'm worried about her." Lita lowered her head, disheartened by how much her leader had changed in behavior since the last Dark Kingdom showdown. There seemed to be a strange look in her eyes. Why was she behaving like everything was alright? Was she still in denial about her role as the princess? Maybe she was repressing her guilt towards Darien.

"I'm very concerned too, we all are, but she's right. She's probably just dealing with it all in her own way. We should give her some space and some time to get her head around everything that's happened. In the meantime, we'll keep an eye on her to make sure she's not getting into trouble." Ami sighed, wistfully.

* * *

Serena smiled as she watched Darien folding another origami rose. The fact that he, cold, heartless Darien, was making something as small and fragile as a beautiful paper rose raised many curiosities within Serena's mind. Was she wrong about him? The contrast was just too great. She couldn't help but wonder as she leant on her study table and watched him silently.

She was meant to be finishing her algebra homework, but she couldn't concentrate. She felt happy watching Darien focus on his task. His concentrating face was just so cute. The way his tongue poked out from the corner of his mouth, how he frowned as his strong masculine fingers fiddled with the delicate paper. He was heartbreakingly handsome. How could she _not_ fall in love with him?

"So, if you sharpened the tips of those paper stems, does that mean you can protect me again, Mister Tuxedo Mask?" Serena quipped playfully.

"That's not funny." Darien frowned, absorbed in making his rosebud symmetrical. "I don't like being like this." He continued to fold the last creases of the petals. "What if something happens? What if Sailor Moon is called to action? I don't like not being able to protect you if you need it."

"Oh, my protector. Brave and strong." Serena smiled as she rose from her study desk and sat down on the bed beside Darien. "I'm sure you could still inflict a nasty paper cut if needed." Serena reasoned and stuck her tongue out in a lighthearted manner. Darien breathed in deeply, unconvinced at Serena's lame attempt to make him feel better.

"You don't get it, do you, Sere?" Darien sighed in frustration, flinging his newly formed rosebud across the room. He let himself fall back onto the bed and ran his fingers through his jet black hair. "I can't let anything happen to you. You're far too important-"

"Yes yes, I'm a princess." Serena rolled her eyes and huffed as she too fell back onto her bed.

"-To me."

"To you?" Serena turned to face Darien. He nodded his head and watched as her expression grew serious. "I'm important to you?"

"Of course you are." Darien shifted under her piercing gaze. The seriousness of her light azure eyes staring into his, made him feel uneasy and he quickly changed the subject. "So with this _Akai Ito_ story thing, what happens to the red string of fate if one of us were to die?"

"What… what are you talking about, Dar?" Serena felt her eyes begin to water. He was too solemn, too serious for her liking. He hadn't smiled all afternoon, even when she joked around and teased him. Was he going to leave her? Could he tell if he was dying? "You're not seeing a white light are you? Don't go into it. Don't go! I'm not ready!" She wasn't quite sure why she was particularly sensitive tonight, but she was. Serena began to cry, tears falling freely from her eyes.

"No, Dumpling Head! I'm not dead!" Darien reached out in an attempt to reassure Serena, who recoiled from his cool touch.

"Then are you going to kill me?" Serena began to feel uncomfortable and somewhat scared. She jumped on top of the bed, holding her pillow above her head, prepared to use it as a weapon.

"No, relax! I'm not going to kill you. No one's dying. I just wanted to know." Darien raised both of his hands to signal peace. Serena's wailing simmered into an occasional muffled sob and she bashfully sat back down on her bed.

"I-I don't know what happens if one of us dies." The thought of Darien dying was enough to send new tears springing from her eyes. Within a flash, she recalled the final battle on the Moon Kingdom. She had lost him then, and only a week ago she almost lost him again. The heartache was too much to bear. "Please don't die."

Darien motioned for Serena to move closer. He moved to place the pillow she was holding down by his lap. Serena followed his directions obediently and found herself laying her head down on a pillow that sat within Darien's translucent legs. She took solace in knowing that he was there now, and curled up by him. He may not have remembered or wanted to remember their relationship from the Moon Kingdom, But Serena could not forget. He reached out to hold her hand, but settled for being close enough. Her breathing slowed as she closed her eyes and soon fell into a peaceful slumber. Darien watched her sleep for a few moments. She drew in a few deep hiccupy breaths and he felt that familiar twinge in his chest. He couldn't fight it. Whether it was caused by _Akai Ito_ or not, it didn't matter. He had fallen in love.

"I don't ever want to lose you, Serena, but I can't always protect you, especially not now, not like this. I can't follow our red string, it doesn't end with me, and so if I lose you, I'd be lost." Darien motioned to caress her face. "You're far too important to me. Don't ever go anywhere… not without me."

* * *

. . .

So that's it for this week. Starting to get romantic now, isn't it?

Also, I'm so happy that many of you also found and read my new story _Summer Rain_. To be honest, I usually finish my chapters weeks in advance, but for some reason I decided to post up Summer Rain right after I finished writing the first chap (yeah, I surprised myself too), and I received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you guys! I LOVE YOU ALL ^_^

Please Review!... and I shall see you all next week for another chapter of Akai Ito (unless I spontaneously decide to upload another chap of _Summer Rain :P_)

_**Crystal Saturn**_


	8. Innocence Again

It's hump day down here in Aussie land (which means it's mid week) and time for another update! As I write this, I'm ever reminded of my upcoming statistics exam next week, and how I should really start studying for it. Yuck! But anyway,

_**Thanks to:**_ Kiwi-margarita, buttaflykissesxoxo, Jenbunny, UniversalBunny, YingYing (Yes, haha her parents should've been told. Plot hole! XD), moon86, Moon Princess Selene, deedee, Terri, Miss Katrina Malfoy, Stacey, TaliMoonAngel668, LadyPeneloSolidor, ScarletL, Usako, CharmedSerenity3, sailormoon489, life705, IsadoraKayStone, SerentiyMoodGodness _**and**_ SulliMike23 _**for reviewing the previous chapter. **_

This chapter is dedicated to **Fedski**, fellow Aussie and long time reviewer of my earlier stories. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

* * *

**Title:** Akai Ito  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 8- Innocence Again

_"Do you remember when  
You were way back then  
You held the world inside your hands  
When you told me love was the strongest stuff  
Your strength was innocence"_

"Serena…" Darien gently called, but to no avail. He reached over and waved a hand through her face. His cool touch earned an irritated groan from the sleepy teen. "Serena, wake up."

"What do you want, Dar? Go away, I'm sleepy." Serena swatted through Darien's arm.

"Sere, I'm bored."

"Go do something." Serena grunted, becoming slightly annoyed, and rolled over.

"But… I made you… breakfast." Darien frowned as he looked over at his paper tray

"Breakfast?" Serena jolted up out of bed at the sound of a meal and followed his gaze toward the study table. "Darien… it's all paper." A mist blurred Serena's vision and Darien braced himself for a torrent of tears and disappointment. Serena glanced down at the meal made of paper. She brought the tray over to her bed and sat silently next to Darien. The tray contained a paper plate full of strips of paper bacon, paper eggs, paper tomatoes, paper mushrooms, a paper glass of orange juice and a paper bowl of paper melons and strawberries. As she stared at the tray of inedible food, Darien sat nervously. He didn't know what had motivated him to do such a thing. It was possibly the silliest activity he had ever undergone. Maybe he was starting to go a little crazy after all.

"Look… it's toast…" Darien pointed, nervously trying to break the silence. "It was the easiest to make… because it's just a square." Serena looked up from her breakfast tray with tears in her eyes. "The fork was probably the hardest to make…" He added meekly. "I'm sorry it's all paper but-"

"No one's ever made me breakfast in bed before." Serena squealed in excitement. She threw her arms upwards and moved to hug Darien, squeezing the air around and through him.

"I-I'm glad you like it…" He smiled in relief as he watched her pick up her paper utensils and pretended to eat his home made breakfast.

"Where are you getting all of this coloured paper?" Serena mock chewed on a piece of paper bacon.

"From the kindergarten, down the road." Darien shrugged, a little embarrassed.

"Well, it's delicious!" She giggled, playing along.

"Now I know you're lying." He grinned broadly. His heart soared through the clouds at the sight of how happy she was.

"Thank you for breakfast." Serena leant over and motioned to kiss Darien on the cheek. His heart thumped wildly in his ears as he feigned a relaxed composure. "Well, it's Saturday today, and since you followed me around, and to school for much of the week, we'll do what you want to do today." Serena set aside her paper tray breakfast on her study table and began the task of picking out her outfit for the day.

"No we shouldn't. I really don't do much on my weekends. I'm quite boring, really. Why don't we just do what you usually do on your weekend?" Darien watched Serena as she picked between a pink summer dress and a blue skirt.

"Come on, Darien. What's the first thing you do on a Saturday morning?"

"Well," He began, drifting back onto the bed. "I go down to the arcade for a morning coffee, say _'hi'_ to Andrew and just sit around waiting until you-" Darien ceased his train of thought. His cheeks flushed a bright crimson at the sound of his own honesty. Serena too, had stopped planning out her outfit to turn and stare blankly at the semi-transparent man before her.

"So… the arcade it is!" She broke eye contact and blushed slightly filling in the blanks of his sentence in her mind. It was probably best, she thought, if she changed the topic altogether, and she whisked herself away to the bathroom before another word could be said.

* * *

"Right, right jump! Jump! Jump! Shoot!"

"I can't concentrate with you yelling in my ear." Serena hissed quietly.

"You keep killing Sailor V. I'm just giving you tips." Darien hovered over the stool beside the teenage girl. "Look, see! You just killed her again. Her poor pixels never stood a chance…"

"I can do this! It's just a hard level and you keep yelling at me. It's distracting." Serena groaned, clenching her jaw in frustration.

"Let me help you." Darien stood behind Serena and leant over. He reached for Serena's hands on the controls. She shivered at his touch. It sent electrical pulses through her and manifested itself as horizontal lines of static on the game screen. "Sorry, it looks like I can't help you after all." Darien recoiled his hand swiftly.

"N-never mind." Serena hopped up quickly in an attempt to hide her nervousness at his touch. She pulled up a seat at the counter. "Andrew! May I please have one chocolate shake aaaand a long black coffee?"

"How did you know that's what I have?" Darien sat beside Serena.

"A coffee?" Andrew looked back at Serena, unsure.

"You always drink coffee." Serena turned to her invisible companion and whispered under her breath.

"Serena, who are you talking to?" Andrew raised his eyebrow in concern. "Are you feeling ok? Who's the coffee for?"

"I can't drink coffee in this state." Darien waved his hand through Serena's face.

"Coffee? Did I say coffee?" Serena giggled nervously while swatting Darien's hand away. "I'm such a ditz today! I didn't mean to ask for a coffee. I'm fine, really. Just ordered the wrong thing."

"Is this because Darien's in the hospital?" Andrew leaned against the counter. "I know it must be hard for you, but if you want, I have a break coming up soon. We can go visit him together."

"What?" Serena blushed profusely as she stared down at her hands. "Why would I… I mean…"

"Really, Sere? You know he's not around to hear you. You can be honest with me. You two thought you were so discreet with your flirting." Andrew smirked as he shook his head.

"Flirting?" Both Serena and Darien jolted up from their stools in complete embarrassment.

"It's obvious that you two have chemistry. You both care about each other very much. May I be as bold as to say that you both may even be in lov-"

"Good bye Andrew!" Serena jumped through Darien's apparition, half way across the arcade and out the sliding doors before Andrew could finish his line of thought.

* * *

"Well… how about we watch a movie?" Darien stretched his arms out behind him on the park bench.

"Umm… a movie? Just the two of us? Alone?" Serena's cheek flushed pink at the thought of being alone in a movie theatre with a boy.

"Sure. Friends do that sort of thing all the time right? Wait right here." Darien hopped up and headed over to the ticket booth of the local movie theatre.

"Right… friends. Of course." Serena failed to convince even herself with the lack of sincerity in her voice. "Is that all we are?" She asked herself and found the answer within her heart as clear as day. She relied less and less upon her memories of the Moon Kingdom, and Prince Endymion. Instead, she preferred to remember him as he was now. The man that never thought twice about teasing her hair style. The man that hurled sarcastic remarks and quips at her about her failing grades. The man that had made her a paper breakfast. The man that was currently stealing movie tickets and dancing about the park in an attempt to make it look like the wind was carrying them. Serena may have loved Prince Endymion in her past life, but she was falling in love with Darien in this one.

"Did you steal those tickets?" Serena frowned as Darien returned.

"No, I traded them in for a paper steak, an I.O.U and some monopoly money." Darien held out his hand. "A girl should never pay for her own movie ticket while on a date." He interrupted before Serena could object.

"A date? This is a date? We're… dating?" Serena reached for Darien's hand, pretending to let him help her up.

"Sure." Darien smiled warmly. "I don't see why we should let fate have all the fun."

* * *

. . .

*squee* A date! So how do you think this story is coming along? Hit that little review button and submit me your feedback. Thanks for all the reviews so far! Over 100! Yay! It makes me uber happy :)

Also, for all you eagerly awaiting the next installment of _**Summer Rain**_, it's coming. It'll be posted some time Saturday (or Friday if you're in the US). Until then, PLEASE REVIEW ^_^

_**Crystal Saturn**_


	9. The Fatal Wound

Surprise early update! I've decided to update this chapter earlier than usual because I have mid-semester exams coming up next week and the week after, so I won't be able to post up my usual mid-week chapter next week. Soooo Here we go!

_**Thanks to:**_ Usako, Tam-chan, UniversalBunny, life705, sailorfan, Jenbunny, TaliMoonAngel668, deedee, Elia Shieldsmoon, ScarletL, YingYing, angeleyesis, Miss Katrina Malfoy, Stacey, SerentiyMoonGodness, Moon Princess Serene, merangelgal, SulliMike23 _**and**_ CharmedSerenity3 _**for reviewing the previous chapter**_

This week's special shout out goes to **Love of the Twilight** for being a long-time reviewer since 2005. Thanks!

* * *

**Title:** Akai Ito  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated: **T  
**Chapter:** 9- The Fatal Wound

_"Son of sorrow staring down forever  
with an aching view  
disenchanted, let's go down together  
with the fatal wound."_

"Darien?" Serena whispered quietly toward the ghostly apparition beside her. She sat rigid in her chair, eyes focused on the images projected in the dark theatre. From her seat at the back of the theatre, she could make out the silhouetted forms of four other couples seated within the cinema. She was the only one without somebody beside her to cling on to.

"Mmm?" Darien murmured, engrossed in the film.

"Why did you pick a thriller? Couldn't you have stolen tickets to a comedy? Or maybe even an animation film?" Serena could feel her heart pounding in her chest as the pitch and rhythm of the movie soundtrack picked up.

"I've been meaning to see this movie for a while now…" Darien confessed. "Shh Sere, it's getting good." The symphonic strings repeatedly struck accented dissonant notes. The tempo of the music accelerated at an alarming pace, signifying an impending thrilling moment and striking fear within Serena. In the blink of an eye, she had one hand covering her face while the other endeavored to grab hold of Darien's arm. His focus was severed from the film as he felt her warm hand reaching over in a desperate attempt to grasp onto him.

_**Slam!**_

Serena yelped in fear, jumping within her seat. As the decrepit spirit on the screen grabbed hold of the main character, Serena decided that she couldn't handle any more. Jumping to her feet, she ran down the theatre aisle and out of the door. Darien anticipated her anxiety and followed her out, two steps behind her.

"Dumpling Head, what are you doing?" Darien chuckled as he watched Serena curl up on one of the theatre lobby chairs. "It's just a movie."

"It's not funny! I was scared! This isn't exactly my idea of a wonderful date so far, you know." Serena hollered, brushing tears out of her eyes. A few of the cinema patrons walked past the blonde teenager, giving her strange looks of concern. To them, she seemed to be talking to herself.

"I… I'm sorry." Darien resisted the urge to laugh again as he knelt by the moody teen. "You're right, it wasn't a good movie to take you to, but to be honest, you face a lot more scarier stuff as Sailor Moon." Serena continued to pout sulkily, feeling a little embarrassed that she had reacted like such a child. "How about we sneak into another movie? Something a little more romantic perhaps?" Darien suggested, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He watched as Serena blushed and looked away as she contemplated the idea. Eventually, she shook her head.

"I want ice cream." She pouted once again. "I want ice cream and I want to go home. No more movies, Darien." He chuckled at her innocence and nodded in agreement.

"Alright, we'll get you an ice cream and walk home." He reached his hand out for Serena to pretend to take and walked over to the candy bar.

* * *

"I'm sorry about earlier." Darien broke the deafening silence as he leant back on Serena's desk chair and gazed at the sunset from the window. Since they had left the cinema, neither one of them had said a word, each still wondering what to do or say next. Were they still on their date? Was there something else that needed to happen? Did they miss their chance?

"What do you mean?" Serena towel dried her hair and plopped herself onto her bed.

"Well, about the movie-"

"It's fine, really. I was being a little too sensitive, I guess." Serena interrupted, casually leaning back on her bed.

"And about the date thing." Darien added, brushing his fingers through his hair out of habit. He did it every time he was nervous. "It's just… I don't really know what to do on a date. I haven't been on very many." He watched as her expression changed from one of casual understanding, to that of surprise. She motioned for him to come closer and he obeyed. At first he sat on the bed, but then decided to lie down next to Serena, staring at the ceiling as he spoke. "I guess, with study and work, and saving Sailor Moon while searching for my Princess, I just haven't had any time." Serena closed her eyes periodically as she listened to the soothing sound of his voice. He chuckled awkwardly. "Andrew once told me that taking a girl to see a scary movie was a great way to get close to her." He laughed once again. "I guess it's a bit different if you're not physically there to hold her when she's scared, huh?"

Serena smiled and nodded warmly, letting the conversation die down once again. Many different thoughts ran through her mind, it was difficult for her to keep up with them all. Most of all, she wondered why Darien was doing all this. Was he doing this for her? Was he humoring her simply because she was so persistent with her beliefs about fate and soul mates? It seemed so sudden. Something had changed within Darien, and she couldn't quite figure out what, or why.

"I'm sorry I tried to make you believe in _Akai Ito_." Serena turned on her side, propping her head up with one of her hands, the other continued to weave in and out of Darien's. He glanced down at her right foot to see the little red string still tied around her ankle, glowing happily.

"You really didn't need to try so hard to convince me. I believed you" Darien smirked inwardly as he too turned to mirror her pose on her bed. He raised his hand and watched as Serena absentmindedly drifted hers in and out of his translucent flesh. It tickled him, but he didn't mind. He could feel her warm touch, and that was enough to keep him happy.

"I understand what you meant now, about choosing your own destiny. I can see why it's so important to have the freedom to be able to fall in love with whoever you want." Serena occasionally looked up from their hands to check his reaction. "If there's someone else you're in love with, please don't let me stop you from being happy. I hereby release you from your bond with me in this, and any subsequent lifetimes." She nibbled on her bottom lip nervously.

"There's no one else." Darien stated simply and watched as a quick wave of relief washed across Serena's features. He smiled gently. She was such an open book, she had always been that way.

"Are you sure? I've seen some of those girls you go to college with and some of them look super attractive and super smart and-"

"There is no one else, Meatball Head." Darien stressed once again. Just at that moment a shot of energy coursed through Darien's body and he withdrew his hand, jolting upright in bed.

"What is it?" Serena slowly sat up beside him. A distant, vacant look spread across Darien's features. As she shuffled herself forward, towards the end of the bed, Darien noticed the glowing red string around her ankle had become dull and faded. Another surge of energy caused Darien to grasp his head and groan softly. "Darien, what's wrong?" Concern gave way to anxiety in Serena's voice.

"It's nothing." Darien turned back to Serena. He felt the last of the strange energy pass through him, and he began to relax once more. "I'm fine." He reassured her as best as he could, but could not hide his apprehension at the sight of the faded red string. He was running out of time. "What were we talking about?" Darien attempted to feign calmness as he returned to his former place on the bed.

"Having the chance to choose who we love." Serena, following Darien's cue, also leant back down onto the bed, facing him.

"I choose you." Darien stated abruptly, with all seriousness.

"I-I… you… what?" His concise statement had caught her off guard. "I don't understand."

"If there's anything these past few days with you have taught me, it's that you can't run from destiny. It follows you everywhere, like an invisible thin red string tied to your right ankle. You can't see it, but it's there." His urgent tone concerned Serena and she hoped that she hadn't pressured him into making any decisions he didn't want to.

"But I've given you an escape clause. You don't have to be with me if you don't want to." She added softly.

"You don't understand, Sere. It's never been about remembering our past. For me, it has only ever been about finding out who we are today. I don't want an escape clause. I've never wanted to be with anybody else. There is no one else, but you." Darien glanced down at Serena, hoping that she was following the meaning of his words. She seemed to be unsure, if not slightly taken aback at what he was trying to tell her. "I only ever wanted the chance to fall in love, and not with some princess who lived many millennia ago, but with you. Not some Sailor whatever or princess something. Just you. Serena Tsukino. I just wanted the chance for you to fall in love with me, and not some hero or dream prince you remember loving in a past life." Darien moved closer as he felt her hand brush against his.

"I-I understand." Serena nodded eagerly through tear filled eyes.

"Do you, Serena? Because I don't know how to make it any clearer." The desperation in his voice reflected that of his heart. The thread had almost disappeared and he was beginning to feel weak and tired. "I choose _you_ to spend the rest of my life with, however long that may be. I've fallen in love with you, Sere." Tears trickled from Serena's deep blue eyes. Darien lifted his hand to brush them away unsuccessfully.

"I wish I could feel you" Serena leaned closer. "I wish I could feel your touch, your hand, anything! I can't do this with you anymore, Darien. We need to find a way to get you back into your body. It's not enough just to see you. I need to feel your warmth, to hold your hand, to feel your arms around me, holding me. I want to…" Serena's thoughts drifted away as Darien's cool fingertips traced along her jaw line. Ever so slowly he leaned closer towards her, enjoying the thrill and restless pounding of his heart.

"I… I think I love you, Darien Chiba." Serena whispered as she involuntarily lowered her eyelids. That was all the encouragement he needed. He leant in, closing the gap between them, and in that brief moment, his lips met hers. Serena moaned gleefully as she slid a hand across Darien's broad shoulders and her fingertips caressed the back of his neck. Darien wrapped one of his arms around Serena's waist, pulling her closer to his body, while the other hand managed to find hers and was enjoying the feeling of having her small hand fit perfectly within his.

"Darien," Serena pulled away slightly, a broad grin had spread across her lips. The tip of her nose playfully nudged against his. She enjoyed being so close to him. A mixture of giddiness and relief spread within her and her lips tingled in the most sinfully gratifying way. _Akai Ito_ had pulled through for her. After countless lifetimes of searching and waiting, fate had finally worked its magic and brought them back together. The memories they had from a previous lifetime only served to fuel the sparks of a newly kindled relationship in the present day. Her mind continuously fed her images of the same embrace, held by a princess and prince once upon a time, but this didn't feel the same. They did not simply pick up where they had left off many centuries ago. Instead, it seemed that a new love had blossomed from an old seed. "Darien, you're back."

"No," Darien broke his gaze away from her intimate stare. "I don't think I am."

"But I can feel you. You're right here. How-?" Serena tilted her head curiously, not understanding why Darien was blatantly denying his own presence.

"I don't know." Darien raised her hand to his lips and kissed it affectionately. "Let's not think about it right now. Let's just enjoy the moment." He gently ran his fingers through her hair as she nodded obediently and leaned her head against his chest. Darien kissed the top of her head as Serena's breathing slowed in pace and she happily drifted off to sleep in the arms of her beloved. A few brief moments passed and as he continued to stroke her hair, Darien felt his hand becoming cooler and watched as it returned to its previous translucent state. What he failed to see, however, was the freshly forged thin red knot tied around his right ankle.

* * *

The new day brought about a fresh sense of hope and joy for Serena. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked about her bedroom in excitement.

"Darien?" She called out to her empty room. "Darien, where are you?" Serena wondered out loud as she slowly stood up from the edge of her bed. The bedroom window remained closed and there was no note left for her. Her finger tips traced along the petal of a paper rose and a smile crept upon her lips.

_**Ring Ring Ring. Ring Ring Ring**_

"Hello? Tsukino residence." Serena leapt for the phone, the memory of the previous night still fresh in her mind.

"Serena?" A controlled sob came from the other end of the line.

"Mina? Is that you? What's wrong?" Happiness gave way for concern for her friend as Serena listened contently.

"Serena we're at the hospital. You have to come down here." Mina struggled to fight back her tears. "It's Darien. H-He… He didn't make it through the night." Another sniffle sounded and Mina's voice cracked and uttered the words that Serena wished she would never hear. "Serena, Darien's gone, he died."

The telephone dropped from Serena's grasp, and at that moment, Serena's whole world and everything that she ever believed in, became a lie.

* * *

. . .

I know, I know! I just got them together and then this…

A longer chapter this time. Please don't hate me for adding this little twist in the plot, but I'm glad that's finally out there. Sorry for leaving you guys with this little cliff hanger for two weeks. Review and tell me what you think ^_^

_**Crystal Saturn**_


	10. Mess of Me

Mid-semester exams are oveerrr ^_^ now to tackle my lab reports (yuck) and essays. FYI, All chapter titles are ninja'd song titles from my favourite band, **Switchfoot**.

_**Thanks to:**_ life705, YingYing, SabrinaGrace, Kiwi-margarita, Jessica, TropicalRemix, ScarletL, SerenitiyMoonGodness, CharmedSerenity3, sailormoon489, UniversalBunny, Jenbunny, Stacey, TaliMoonAngel668, Moon Princess Selene, Miss Katrina Malfoy, Seleine, deedee, Usako, merangelgal _**and**_ SulliMike23 _**for reviewing the previous chapter.**_

This latest chapter is dedicated to **Jenbunny**. I'm so glad you enjoy reading my stories and I hope to continue dishing out chapters worthy of your reviews ^_^

* * *

**Title:** Akai Ito  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 10- Mess of Me

_"We lock our souls in cages  
We hide inside our shells  
It's hard to free the ones you love  
When you can't forgive yourself"_

"He lied to me! The idiot lied to me!" Serena cried out in anguish as the last of the hospital equipment used to monitor Darien's vital functions was wheeled out of the room. In her mind, the events of the night before played back over and over in an endless loop. It was only now, with hindsight, that she noticed his strange behaviour. He had jolted upright in bed. She should have known there and then that something wasn't quite right. The pained expression on his face and the urgency in his tone should have given it away. That, and the fact that he somehow knew that he would not stay in his physical form for long. "How could he do this to me? He said that I was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He knew! He knew all along that he was dying and that idiot still told me that anyway." With tears streaming down her face, Serena redirected her fury towards the heavens. "_For the rest of your life_? That's your worst joke yet, Chiba. How dare you sit there and make me confess my feelings for you, only to go and die like that. How selfish of you. You're an idiot, Darien Chiba and I'll never forgive you for this."

"Serena, please stop. I know you're hurting, but you don't mean that. You don't want him to hear those words come out of your mouth." Lita embraced her friend in an attempt to subdue her anger. Witnessing Serena's wailing sessions was a common occurrence, but none of the four other girls had ever seen Serena so hysterical or angry. She paced up and down the room muttering curses and breaking down into fitful sobs, it was a stark contrast to the bubbly ever-happy Serena that they all knew and loved. Her heart was filled with sorrow and it seemed that she was tormented with memories of a lover who left her behind. More than anything, Serena felt betrayed. It was almost like Darien and fate had made a pact, and neither one thought to let her in on their secret. Did he come back and haunt her just to make her fall in love with him? Did he know he was going to leave her again? Was that his plan all along? Either way, it was cruel of fate to conspire against them, and she was more than happy to let her betrayal known.

"Sere, you've been grieving the loss of Darien since the battle at Starlight Tower. You've been in denial over the whole thing ever since. Serena, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you haven't really been seeing Darien around. It's impossible. Seeing him during your daily routines is just your brains way of coping with loss. You're now in the next stage of your grief: anger." Ami gently tried to rationalize Serena's strange ramblings.

"It's not true, Ami. I was the only person that could see him. We're connected by fate. He's been by my side all week. He made me breakfast and we went on our first date yesterday. He told me he loved me last night and… and…" loud sobs overwhelmed the petite blonde as she struggled to continue, "You have to believe me. The moment we kissed, he stopped being a spirit and became real. I fell asleep in his arms, and now… he's gone…"

"Spirits don't just magically become people, even if they really did exist. You created him in your mind as a coping mechanism." Ami lowered her head in weariness. "Serena, I don't know what else to tell you."

"You don't have to tell me a thing, Ami. I'll bring him back and you can hear it for yourself." Serena reached for her brooch and held the Silver Crystal within her hands. "Moon Crystal Power!"

"Serena, you can't use the Silver Crystal. It will kill you too." Rei warned and attempted to reach for the gem.

"I don't care." Serena frowned stubbornly and pushed her friend away before raising the Silver Crystal above her head once again. "Moon Crystal Power!"

"Serena stop that! You can't bring him back. Are you insane? That's not what the crystal is for." Rei persisted and lunged at her leader. "Pull yourself together. Darien's gone! He's dead, do you understand what that means?" Tears fell from Rei's eyes as she grabbed hold of her leader and tried to shake some sense into her. "Listen to me, you haven't been seeing him. That's just not possible. He's been lying in a coma all week. We all listened to your crazy stories, and watched you pretend to talk to him like everything is OK, but it's not Serena, and now you have to face the fact that he's dead. I'm sorry, but you have to move on now. We love you, Serena, but it's time to let go." Serena shrugged and pulled away from Rei, lifting her hand into the air once more.

"Moon Crystal…" Serena sobbed as she dropped to her knees in exhaustion. "Moon Crystal… you have to bring him back." Moments passed with no result. The once brilliant shine of the Silver Crystal had faded away, leaving a tarnished looking dull gem. Serena raised her knees to her chest in defeat. "What's the point?" She mumbled to herself. "What's the point of having this stupid crystal if it can't even bring back the man that I love?" Serena released her hold of the Silver Crystal and let it roll away, discarded and useless.

"Excuse me." A nurse quietly knocked at the door. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, and I'm sincerely sorry for your loss, but Mr. Chiba's records indicate no known family members. Are you his girlfriend? We have a box containing his personal effects…"

"I'll take them." Serena's mood sobered almost immediately as she reached for the box. "Thank you."

As the nurse left, all eyes fell back to Serena, who had somberly moved to sit on the now empty, freshly made hospital bed. She looked down at the box on her lap and wondered if going through Darien's last items was a good idea at that moment. She had only just truly fallen in love with him, and the news of his death had almost destroyed her. Serena wondered if it would be best to take the box home, to examine its contents in the safety and solitude of her room, but quickly decided against that. She didn't want to go home. Her sanity hinged on the knowledge that Darien had been by her side all week. Doubt caused by Ami's ever rational reasoning started to creep into her thoughts. She knew that if she returned to her room, to find her paper roses and her paper breakfast gone, then her world would have been all full of meticulously constructed lies, and it would then fall apart. So, ever so gently, Serena began to sift through the contents of the box, starting with his signature green jacket. It still smelled of roses. A scent that made her smile. Looking back into the box, she noticed that he did not carry many other items. A set of keys and a wallet. As Serena removed the wallet from the box, a small photograph fell from one of the compartments.

"Serena, is that you?" Rei questioned quietly. Serena's eyes began to well up with unshed tears once more as she nodded in silence.

"Where did you get this, Darien?" She wondered to herself out loud before quickly placing the photo back within the folds of the leather wallet and wiping away her tears. "Umm, thank you everyone, for being here for me, but I have to go now." Serena placed the items back in the box and rose to her feet.

"Rena, you can't be serious. You shouldn't be alone right now." Mina stepped forward to stop her friend.

"I'm fine, everyone. Please, just let me go. I need some time to think and clear my head. I just need some time to myself. I promise I'll call if I'm in trouble." Serena wearily pleaded as she leant down and picked up the abandoned Silver Crystal, placing it in her pocket. Her fellow Sailor Soldiers exchanged concerned glances before stepping aside to let their leader pass. Without another word, Serena left the oppressive hallways of the hospital and swiftly made her way to Darien's apartment building. Once there, she looked up Darien's room number at the front gate and took the elevator to the eighth floor. As the elevator made its slow ascension, Serena reached into the box and opened his wallet once again. She looked down at the photo of herself curiously. "Why did you say you didn't believe in _Akai Ito_? You loved me all along, didn't you Darien? Why didn't you just tell me?" She stood at his door for a few minutes in an attempt to prepare herself from being overwhelmed once again. After trying a number of keys, she found one that fit into the lock. Serena turned the key and gently opened the door to Darien's apartment.

"Darien?" her voice carried through the quiet apartment. "Darien, are you here?" her question was met with silence. "Darien, please be here." Serena took off her shoes and slipped on a pair of slippers before she entered. "Darien, I need you to be here." Her voice trembled and cracked as newly formed tears began to fall from her eyes. A part of her had hoped that he, or at least his spirit, was home. She placed the box of his belongings on his coffee table before slowly strolling through every room in his apartment. Although it was her first time seeing his apartment, everywhere she looked, she imagined that she could see him going about his daily routine and chores.

The kitchen smelled faintly of coffee. Textbooks were sprawled about his study table. A vase of wilted roses imparted their musky aroma throughout the hallway. Serena pushed the bedroom door open slowly and took in the state of the room. His bed wasn't made, and he had left two shirts sitting at the end of his bed. Out of all the rooms in his apartment, Darien's bedroom seemed to unlock the most powerful emotions within Serena. She strolled over to his bed and before long, found herself sinking beneath the sheets. They smelled just like he did the night that he kissed her. She took a deep breath, holding in a lungful of his scent.

"Darien, I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said earlier." Serena sobbed loudly as she hugged his pillow. "Please come back. You can't go yet. I'm not ready. Don't leave me just yet. I don't know what happens to _Akai Ito_ now that you're gone." She curled beneath his sheets and tried to imagine his presence beside her. She remembered the way his arms felt wrapped around her and pretended to feel them once again. Maybe Rei had been right. Maybe she _was_starting to lose her mind, for as she lay beneath the dark sheets and mourned for her broken heart, she could have sworn she felt him hold her and caress her hair gently. "Darien…" Serena sniffled in an attempt to control her tearful hiccupping sobs. "You didn't even say good bye."

* * *

. . .

So we've just about passed the first milestone of the story… still plenty to go. Angsty, I know, but there must be conflict in every interesting story. Please read and Review. Let me know what you think. See you all in a few days for the next chapter.

_**Crystal Saturn**_


	11. Gone

Ooh, sorry for the delay. I have assignments coming out of my ears! But I have opted to update in celebration of my 5th year anniversary with my own beloved prince :)

_**Thanks to: **_Twighla Shields, sailormoon489, nami, moon86, SabrinaGrace, Moon Princess Selene, life705, Stacey, SerentiyMoonGodness, TaliMoonAngel668, ScarletL, x-YingYing-x, Jenbunny, UniversalBunny, SulliMike23, Miss Katrina Malfoy, Jessica, Anne Heartwood, deedee _**and **_CharmedSerenity3 _**for reviewing the previous chapter.**_

* * *

**Title:** Akai Ito  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 11- Gone

_"She told him that she believes in living  
Bigger than she's living now  
But her world keeps spinning backwards  
And upside down"_

Serena roused from her dreamless slumber to find herself in a foreign bed, wrapped in Darien's green jacket. She knew the girls would have covered for her if her parents had called, so there was no rush to get out of bed. She was fully content to spend yet another whole day, lazily wrapped up in Darien's bed, surrounded by all his things.

"What's that, Dar? You'd like a coffee? Sure! Maybe I'll make you some pancakes too. I've never made them before, but it's the least I can do since you made me lasagna last night." Serena pretended to hear his voice. Ironically, pretending that he was still haunting her was the only thing keeping her from going totally insane. "No no, you stay in bed. I'll bring it to you."

_Knock knock knock_

"Serena! We know you're in there." Lita's voice bellowed from the other side of the door.

_Knock knock knock_

"Serena. I know this is really hard for you, but you have to come out now. You have to come with us. Darien's funeral is today." Mina coaxed gently.

"You need closure. This isn't healthy anymore." Ami added. Her voice conveyed much concern for the sanity of her friend.

"Serena! Stop being stubborn. You know you'll regret it if you don't go. You have to say good bye." Rei began to feel impatient, waiting.

"Please be quiet. Darien's home and he's sleeping right now. You'll wake him." Serena paused, knowing exactly how crazy she sounded. If her friends didn't believe she was being haunted by Darien's spirit before, they sure as hell were not going to believe her now. "He said he'd spend the rest of his life with me." A bitter tone carried through the sweetness of her words.

"Serena," She loved the way her name sounded when he said it. She imagined the feeling of his arms wrapping around her from behind. "Sere, you have to go with your friends."

"I don't want to." She shook her head stubbornly and frowned at the fact that her internal monologues were turning against her too. "I'm not ready."

"Sere," He cooed softly as he kissed the back of her neck for encouragement. Cool electric tingles travelled up and down her spine. "You know this isn't real. It's time to let me go."

"I can't, Darien." Serena turned to face him, but he wasn't there. "Darien…" She called out to the empty apartment. No reply. A few moments passed and Serena slowly shuffled towards the door. It creaked quietly as she hesitantly opened it, revealing her miserable, disheveled state. Her long blonde hair hadn't been washed for days, dark circles had formed under her bloodshot eyes, her lips were cracked from all the crying and lack of fluid intake. She was thin, pale and still wearing Darien's green jacket. As the door opened wide enough, Serena was greeted with four familiar faces, and pulled into an embrace.

"You're not alone." Rei wrapped an arm around Serena for support.

* * *

The ceremony was simple and intimate. Andrew had been the sole beneficiary of Darien's will, and also had the tough task of putting the funeral together. In addition to Andrew, a number of Darien's fellow classmates attended, but none had gained as much attention as little blonde high school girl who, although wrapped within Darien's jacket, did not shed a tear.

As the casket was lowered into the ground, the thought crossed Serena's mind, to fling herself upon it as a last dramatic act of grievance, but her feet remained firmly rooted to the ground. She had cried all the tears she had for him, and now there was nothing left for her to do but to return home and live out the rest of her life, waiting and hoping that _Akai Ito_ meant that she would see him again in the next one.

But that's never how the story ends. Not when your enemy is the Dark Kingdom.

The blustery weather began to intensify and tousled Serena's hair about her as the last prayers were spoken. She shuddered and tossed her red rose into the grave. The cold, crisp wind of late Autumn whipped about, lashing at exposed skin. It added another stinging component to the already painful occasion.

"It's funny," Serena murmured under her breath as she pulled the green jacket around herself tightly. "Even though you're gone, it feels like you've never left my side."

* * *

"I'm glad you let me walk you home." Andrew briefly placed a reassuring hand on Serena's shoulder. Luna followed two steps behind them as they slowly began the walk back to Serena's house. Since the events at the Starlight Tower, she had stayed with Mina and Artemis to discuss their next plan of attack. She felt that it was also good for Serena to have some time and space to herself to become comfortable with the idea that she was the legendary Moon Princess, destined to one day rule the world. Little did she know that their princess was rekindling a long lost love with the disembodied spirit of her comatose prince.

"I would've been fine regardless," Serena stared at her lead filled feet as she walked. "But thank you for offering, Andrew."

"You should know Serena, Darien cared for you very much." Andrew began. "He'd never admit it to anyone, not even to me, but there's no mistaking the fact that your happy-go-lucky attitude affected him in a positive way. I'm sure if things had turned out differently, he would've told you that himself." Andrew turned to see Serena in deep contemplation. The constant silence and emotionless expression on her face made her difficult to read.

"You know," Serena continued to stare at her feet as she walked. "I saw him. Before he…" she cleared her throat and took a moment to collect herself. "He was outside the arcade, and then he followed me to the park."

"I know what that's like." Andrew nodded, surprising Serena. "It's been hard for me too. Every day this week I've pulled out a cup for Darien's morning coffee, simply out of habit. When you follow the same routines every day, it's difficult to adjust when that routine suddenly changes. It's no wonder you've seen him around, the two of you would bump into each other on a daily basis." Andrew smiled reassuringly. "I'm no psychologist, but I'm pretty sure it's a normal coping mechanism. It takes time."

"I see." Serena decided to drop her line of thought. "Well, thanks for walking me home, Andrew." She added as they approached her house. "I really appreciate it."

"It's no trouble at all, Serena. If you need to talk or anything, you know where I am." Andrew placed a hand on Serena's shoulder for emphasis and support. "And about Darien's apartment-"

"I have the key right here…" Serena reached in to her pocket and began to dig around for the little key. Andrew shook his head quickly.

"No no, the landlord has told me that Darien's rent has been paid up to six months in advance, so if you want access to the apartment, for somewhere to be, then by all means Sere, keep the key. If not, let me know and I'll go through his things and clean up the place." He watched the teenage girl for a while. She smiled weakly and nodded her head, clutching on to the key and holding it to her chest. Darien's green jacket barely clung onto her shoulders and she almost looked like she was being swallowed up by the layers of fabric. Andrew gave a bittersweet smile and shook his head once again. "You know Serena, it's a pity that Darien could never muster up enough courage to ask you out on a date. You would've been good for him. Once the two of you got past your preschool teasing, I think you both could have been happy."

"I guess it just wasn't meant to be." The melancholy tone in Serena's voice masked a pain that pierced viciously through her heart, and a spark of hope that refused to die. She watched the back of Andrew's head for a few moments as he began his trek back home. As she walked through her front door, she announced her presence and walked up the stairs towards her room, only to stop with her nose pressed up against the door gently.

"What's the matter?" Luna whispered quietly as she watched Serena stand at the entrance of her room, staring at her closed door and drawing in deep sniffled breaths.

"I don't want to go in there."

"Why not?" Luna looked up at her charge curiously.

"I just spent the past week in there thinking that I was with the spirit of Darien. He spoke to me in there. He confided in me, in that room. He made me paper origami roses in there. I was the only one who could see him. I told him I loved him. If he really was following me around as a spirit this week then the roses should be on my study table, but that means that I've truly lost the man I love. If the roses aren't there, then it means that it was all in my head and that I'm going crazy. It means that he died not knowing how I felt about him, and I'll never be able to change that." Serena clenched her hands into fists with nervous anticipation. They became clammy as her heart began to drum in her ears. "I can't do it. I can't go in there, Luna"

"Serena, either way, Darien's gone. You can't change that, but what you can do is open that door, and start your first steps towards going on with your life. Besides, I'm sure Darien knows. If his spirit is floating around, I'm sure he just heard what you said." Luna nudged against Serena's ankle.

Serena nodded solemnly as she reached for her door handle. Turning the knob and slowly pushing the door open, she entered the quiet room with caution. Eagerly, she found herself immediately turning her gaze toward her study table, her eyes searching with desperation.

Nothing.

The paper roses that Darien had crafted were not there. The paper breakfast he had cooked up was also missing. Only her homework and some study notes lay strewn across the timber desk. Looking at her room, there was no sign that Darien had ever set foot within those walls. Serena slowly walked over to her desk in disbelief. With one hand over her mouth to stifle her cries, and another clutching at her chest, it dawned upon her that the week she thought she had spent with Darien was a lie. It was all a cruel concoction of her mind.

"Serena?" Luna cautiously approached from behind.

"The roses are gone. He never knew... I never got the chance to tell him that I loved him." Serena sobbed quietly, before shaking her head and wiping her eyes. "I'm fine, Luna. I'll be fine." She attempted to smile through her tears. "It's over, right? Now I know."

"Serena, it's alright to cry if you want."

"No, Luna. I think I've cried enough." Serena shook her head vigorously. "You're right. I need to move on. I never told Darien how I felt, so nothing changed between us. He's still the obnoxious jerk that teased me all the time. Maybe in another lifetime…" Her voice trailed off as she continued her silent line of thought. "No, I can't think about that now. The world still needs a hero."

"That's right Serena." Luna nodded approvingly. Although she admired Serena's new sense of responsibility, she could not help but feel a little sad and mourned for the loss of her innocence. "But Serena, you believe in _Akai Ito_ right? So please don't give up hope of finding love."

Unbeknownst to Luna, destiny had not yet had its final say in regards to the song of Serena's heart, and as she stood at her balcony and watched the lives of those below her carry on, the invisible red thread tied around her right ankle stretched and pulled. Eventually the tension in the thread began to relax, for the distance between the two ends had dwindled. Serena shuddered as a draft of frosty air brushed across her cheek. Winter was coming. She recalled the way Darien's touch felt so cool against her skin and applauded her imagination for going to such extreme lengths to keep his spirit alive. It all seemed so real to her. Even as she reminisced about her time spent with him, her lips tingled and her heart skipped a beat. She closed her eyes languidly and relished the feeling.

"It still feels like you're here with me."

* * *

. . .

I have to get back to my assignments. On a side note: how romantic was the royal wedding? Awwww! Loved it!

Please review!

_**Crystal Saturn**_


	12. I Turn Everything Over

Today, I raise my Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster to toast to the life of an amazing author, and certainly one of my favourites, Douglas Adams. Happy Towel Day, everyone!

Also... I'm celebrating my 34/35 high distinction score I got back for one of my essays. Yeah, I'm pretty stoked. It's kinda official now... I can write decent enough at a university level... *squee!*

**Thanks to: **CharmedSerenity3, Miss Katrina Malfoy, Stacey, UniversalBunny, TaliMoonAngel668, Seleine, deedee, SerentiyMoonGodness, Moon Princess Selene, Terri, SulliMike23, IsadoraKayStone, Jessica, TropicalRemix, moon86, x-YingYing-x, SabrinaGrace, life705, Jenbunny, xxNightShade12, Kiwi-margarita **and** merangelgal **for reviewing the previous chapter**

I'd like to dedicate this chapter to one of my newer readers, **Seleine**, whose reviews are special to me because Seleine uses Google translator to translate my stories into French to read, and then writes me such lovely reviews. Such effort must be rewarded. Thank you, Seleine.

* * *

**Title:** Akai Ito  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 12 – I Turn Everything Over

_"Cause I'm an already but not yet resurrected fallen man  
Come break this limbo  
And I know you know just who I've been  
Come define me"_

Under the cover of darkness, a wicked cackle echoed through the streets of Tokyo. The sound of a bakery window shattering brought about a violent ended to the previously peaceful night.

"Hold it!" Sailor Moon arrived on the scene, standing fearlessly on the curb adjacent from the store. The light of a nearby lamp post bathed down upon her, showering her with rays that illuminated her hair and created a golden halo around her head. "These sweet cakes have been a great source of comfort for me these past few days, and I will not allow you to destroy this store! In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!"

"Revenge!" The teal faced demon leapt for Sailor Moon, grasping hold of her throat with lighting speed. "Silver Crystal!"

"Crescent Beam!" A glimmer of light sliced across the monsters arm. It winced in pain before releasing its hold on the soldier. The remaining four Sailor Soldiers arrived at the scene, just in time to save their leader.

"You will never have this," Sailor Moon gasped for air before staggering to her feet. She dangled the Moon Wand in front of the monster with distain. "And frankly, I'm sick of all of you trying. Moon Healing Escalation!" With the flick of her wrist, she performed her attack, returning the monster to his former baker self. A solitary applause pierced through the silence of the night.

"Congratulations, Sailor Moon." Kunzite smirked as he drifted across the sky.

"Oh, I'm _so_ ready to fight you too." Sailor Moon reached for her Moon Wand and prepared to channel all her grief and angst into fuel for revenge. "You took Darien away from me! You killed him, and now you dare to send more monsters for my crystal?"

"Wait there, Sailor Moon, I fear I'm taking too much credit this time." Kunzite raised his hand in protest. He was going to love every minute of this. "Let me introduce you to the Dark Kingdom's newest recruit. He is the one who summoned this monster to kill you."

The scent of roses wafted through the air. Sailor Moon spun around on her heels in a desperate attempt to locate the source of that familiar smell. The flutter of a dark cape attracted her attention out of the corner of her eyes. The tall dark figure stepped out of the shadows to reveal his dominant form. Heavy metal plating shielded his chest and broad shoulders. Silver embellishments adorned his chest plate and his traditional black cape was pinned to his uniform with two intricately decorated gold studs. A silver and gold broadsword remained sheathed by his left side. Its hilt glimmered with gold crescent moon shaped embossing. Sailor Moon's heart began to beat uncontrollably within her chest. The princess within her felt the urge to run to his side, for he had always protected her in the past. His dark, tousled hair. Those deep, sapphire blue eyes. The way his jaw clenched and how his gaze pierced into her soul. There was no mistaking it, it was him.

"Endymion." Sailor Moon sighed as a wave of bittersweet nostalgia overcame her senses. "Darien!" She exclaimed in excitement as she realized his present day form was still alive. Ignoring the initial protests of her brain, Sailor Moon leaped toward the armour clad warrior only to be met with icy hostility.

"I am Prince Endymion of the Dark Kingdom. I serve under the great Queen Metalia and have been given direct orders from her to collect the Silver Imperial Crystal, and then destroy you, Sailor Moon."

"Darien, that isn't who you are," Serena stopped and began to retreat as Endymion reached for his sword. "This can't be real, you're a phoney."

"Oh I assure you, Sailor Moon, that _is_ the real Prince Endymion. Or would you be more familiar with the title Tuxedo Mask?" Kunzite laughed bitterly, relishing every expression of confusion on the soldier's face. Endymion slowly stalked toward her, his hand firmly grasped his sword as she trembled and backed against a wall.

"Darien, please remember me. This isn't you. You're a good person. Darien please, it's me, your Dumpling Head, remember?" Sailor Moon was trapped. He had her cornered and she was within striking distance. "Darien!" She pleaded desperately. The arrival of strong presence gained Sailor Mars' attention and she swiftly turned her gaze towards Sailor Moon. She squinted her eyes and searched the space around her leader. A mysterious new aura had appeared, and it seemed to be shielding her.

"Why do you call me by that name?" Prince Endymion hesitated, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Supreme Thunder!" Sailor Jupiter prepared her attack in an attempt to weaken Prince Endymion. He was caught off guard due to his focus on Sailor Moon and fell to his knees.

"Endymion, retreat now." Kunzite growled. "You're not ready to fight them yet."

"I'll be back for that crystal, Sailor Moon. Make no mistake, when I come back, I'll take your life too." Prince Endymion winced as he clutched his wounded side. With a flurry of black rose petals and the flick of his cape, he was gone. Kunzite laughed heartily.

"Surprised, Sailor Moon? I hope you're ready to fight your precious Prince."

"How? Darien… he's…" Sailor Moon lowered her gaze as she remembered the empty hospital bed and the casket as it lowered into the ground.

"Dead? No, but it was so easy to convince you all that he was. It really was such a touching funeral service. We weren't ready for him after the battle, but thank you for keeping him safe for us until we could take him. It's no use, Sailor Moon. He won't remember you at all. He has been brainwashed by the Dark Kingdom and knows only of his life with us. Good luck fighting against him, Sailor Moon." Kunzite's laugh echoed across the night as he disappeared into the darkness.

"They got away." Sailor Venus heaved a sigh. "Mars, are you alright?" She noticed that her fellow soldier continued to stare at their leader. She stood perfectly still.

"I felt something." The red suited soldier slowly moved towards Sailor Moon. "It was right here." She stood in front of her leader and glanced about, trying to reconnect with the energy she had previously felt.

"Was it negative energy?" Sailor Mercury used her visor in an attempt to analyse the space in question.

"No, I don't think it was. It sort of felt like a shield, it didn't feel threatening at all." Mars tried to shake the feeling.

"I can't find anything." Sailor Mercury minimised her visor. "In any case, we should probably all go home now. It's getting late and that was certainly... overwhelming."

"Sailor Moon," Jupiter turned to her leader, noticing the glazed, vacant look in her eyes. "Are you alright?" She didn't seem to hear.

"Darien..." Serena eventually sighed with a bittersweet yearning in her voice. "I don't know what to believe anymore." She turned and slowly began to walk home, reflecting on her new enemy. As she did, a cool wisp of air fluttered through her fingers. _Why does that feel so familiar?_ "Darien?" Serena stopped and turned around, searching for the familiar feeling spectre. Nothing. _Of course not, he's Prince Endymion now._

* * *

Serena quietly unlocked the door and slipped in. The room was dark. She sighed as she closed the door behind her and leant back against it. Silence. Darien's apartment felt different now that she knew he hadn't spent that week with her. She felt as though she was invading his privacy. It almost felt as if she were a stranger, breaking and entering. Serena slowly slipped on a pair of slippers and shuffled towards the kitchen. She cleaned the dirty dishes that she had used the last time she was there. As she dried the plates and put them away neatly, the thought crossed her mind that she should probably make the bed too.

Trudging into the bedroom, Serena unlocked the balcony door to let some fresh air into the stale room. The curtains fluttered and swayed, dancing in the breeze. The rays from the full moon filtered in, casting long shadows across the bedroom floor. As Serena turned around, she redirected her gaze toward the unmade bed. It looked so comforting, and although she was a stranger in his home, she couldn't help herself. She slipped between the soft sheets and inhaled deeply.

"Darien, I know you don't remember me anymore, but I still remember you. I remember us." She mumbled to the empty room. "I miss you." Serena's eyelids fluttered shut and she drifted in and out of a dreamless slumber. His cool lips brushed up against hers. Serena let out a soft groan as she held her hand against his. His fingers intertwined with hers and a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. "I've missed you so much."

"Serena..." She loved the way he said her name. The deep huskiness of his voice sent shivers all through her and caused the hair on her arms to stand on end. "Serena..."

"Darien!" Serena bolted upright in bed. Goosebumps still speckled her arms. Her heart pounded uncontrollably within her chest. Adrenalin coursed through her veins with every throbbing beat. She lifted a hand up and gently grazed her fingertips across her lips. They still felt cold. She shook her head briskly, unable to scatter the feeling that there was somebody else in the room with her, watching her. Serena shuffled toward the end of the bed, struggling to still her wildly beating heart. Glancing up at the low lying moon one more time, she slid the balcony door shut. Deciding to leave the bed unmade, she gathered the last of her things and left the apartment quickly, locking the door behind her. Her end of the invisible red thread tugged and trailed behind her as she began her walk home. The other end remained motionless for now, looped into a knot on Darien's bed, beside the space where the blonde girl had recently slept.

* * *

. . .

There you have it, the return of our favourite tuxie-clad hero. Let me know what you think ^_^ See you all next week for the next chapter of my other story, Summer Rain.

_**Crystal Saturn**_


	13. Selling the News

Special double post this week, the usual chapter of **Akai Ito**, and a bonus chapter of **Summer Rain** to tie you over since I won't be able to post up a chapter next week (since I'll be in the middle of my exams). It seems as though I've been whinging about exams and assessments for the past month now! Haha, well, enjoy!

_**Thanks to:**_life705, Terri, Leslie, Kiwi-margarita, Terri703, IsadoraKayStone, Bookworm, ScarletL, CharmedSerenity3, TaliMoonAngel668, Starrlight1812, merangelgal, Jessica, mayilu, Stacey, Jenbunny, deedee, SerentiyMoonGodness, Miss Katrina Malfoy, UniversalBunny, babyblue4994, Moon Princess Selene, sailormoon489 _**and **_SulliMike23 _**for reviewing the previous chapter**_

* * *

**Title:** Akai Ito  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:**  
**Chapter:** 13 – Selling the News

_"I want to believe you__  
__I want to believe__  
__But everything here's in between__  
__The fact is fiction"_

"I'm sick of you guys. Really, leave me alone. I just want to live a normal life!" Sailor Moon dodged another beam of dark energy. "If you're so strung up on trying to collect energy, then why are you hurling so much of it at me?"

"Sailor Moon, watch your back!" Sailor Mars hollered as she watched her leader less-than-gracefully dance around another electricity beam. "They seem to be targeting you tonight."

"Bubble Spray!" Sailor Mercury scattered a thick veil of fog in an attempt to buy her leader some time.

"Sailor Moon, it's your turn!" Jupiter cautiously checked about her.

_Silence._

In amongst the flurry of bubbles and fog, a white gloved hand pressed down firmly against Sailor Moon's mouth, while a strong arm wrapped around her waist. He carried her away from the battle and bounded across the rooftops of Tokyo. She didn't fight him, instead opting to press her head against his chest. Skillfully, he gently dropped down onto his apartment balcony.

"If I release you, will you scream?" The coolness of his breath against her left ear sent tingles across her arms. The whole time he had her in his arms, he dared not to look her in the eye. Sailor Moon shook her head and he gently removed his hand, letting her go. She watched as he took a step back, revealing her captor.

"Tuxedo Mask." Her voice seemed so small. "W-Why did you bring me here?"

"I've been watching you. You came here last night." He turned his head to gaze out towards the horizon. Flashes of light flickered from the park and dimmed. The battle was over. The Sailor Soldiers had surely won. Prince Endymion had not picked a strong monster tonight. He just needed enough time to toy with them, to distract them, so he could take her.

"Endy- Tuxedo Mask…" Sailor Moon shook her head in confusion.

"I'm Darien." The tall dark figure continued to stare off into the distance. "I'm starting to remember."

"D-Darien?" Sailor Moon questioned meekly. "What are you starting to remember?"

"I remember you." He paused and turned his head to face her. She stood, unmoved. It wasn't enough. "I remember us, Sailor Moon." She continued to wait. A look of confusion and caution graced her delicate features and he stepped toward her. She hesitated and shuffled backwards.

"I want so much to believe you, Tuxedo Mask, but-"

"Then believe me. Please, Sailor Moon. I implore you." He smoothly stepped toward her again, and she found herself backed against the balcony screen door. With nowhere else to run, Sailor Moon looked about nervously for another escape route, a weapon, anything. Tuxedo Mask lifted a gloved hand and gently caressed her cheek. "Believe this…" Lifting her chin up, he leant down and pressed his cool lips against hers. He was gentle and careful in his embrace. Sailor Moon leant into the kiss as her eyes fluttered shut and she savored the feeling of his soft lips against hers. Unlike the first time though, her heartbeat remained steady and the giddiness that she thought she would have felt remained at bay. There was something about his kiss that was less than innocent.

"Darien…" She breathed as she gently pushed him away. Reaching up, she removed his white domino mask and stared into his deep blue eyes. He held her gaze, reflecting one of stern concentration. She felt her inhibition and cautiousness slip away, as it always did whenever the suited man held her in his arms. She always had a weakness for Tuxedo Mask. "How? I thought the Dark Kingdom brainwashed you."

"They did. They still have control over me, but that's why I came to you." He lifted one of her hands and pressed his lips against her knuckles gently. "I need the Crystal, Sailor Moon. You have made me remember some of who I am, and now I need the Silver Crystal to restore me to my former self."

"I-I can heal you." Sailor Moon struggled to collect her thoughts.

"That won't be enough. They'll just take me again and brainwash me for a second time, and I can't guarantee they'll do such a bad job next time. Please, Sailor Moon, I need the Silver Crystal so I can use it to destroy the Dark Kingdom once and for all." Tuxedo Mask pleaded. A faint rosy hue stained Sailor Moons cheeks as his eyes pierced into her soul when he spoke.

"What's my name?" Her lips seemed to ask on their own accord. It caught him off guard. He faltered.

"Sail-"

"No. My _real_ name. You said you loved me, remember? Not Sailor Moon, not Princess Serenity, _me_."

"I… I don't remember everything just yet, which is why we have to hurry. If they found out that I'm not completely loyal to them then they'd either brainwash me again, or kill me. Is that what you want?" Tuxedo Mask paced about the balcony in frustration.

"No, I want to help you." Unshed tears glistened within Sailor Moon's eyes. "But I don't know if I can trust you."

"It would be so easy for me to kill you right here, right now if I wanted to, and believe me Sailor Moon, the thought has crossed my mind more than once tonight. It can't be helped. It's the dark energy within me." His cold hard gaze softened as he noticed her posture become rigid. Like a deer being hunted in the wild, she was ready to leap at the first sign of danger. "I'll meet you here again tomorrow night. I'll meet you here every night for as long as it takes to prove that I am Darien. But in the meantime, when Queen Beryl summons me to battle, don't be so surprised if I have to attack you. I don't mean to hurt you, Sailor Moon, but I still have to pretend to be your enemy." He shot her a sideways glance through lowered eyelids before approaching her once more. Tilting her chin up, he moved to kiss her again, but an invisible force resisted him. Tuxedo Mask frowned slightly and took a step back, leaving Sailor Moon to open her eyes and look up at the tall dark man curiously. "Tomorrow night." He confirmed once more before disappearing in a flurry of black rose petals.

* * *

Prince Endymion stepped back through the walls of the Dark Kingdom.

"Did your plan work?" Kunzite asked in the presence of Queen Beryl.

"It will take time. She trusts me, but she still needs a little convincing. This should be easy. She should give up that Crystal in a matter of a few days." Endymion languidly took a seat on the step by Beryl's throne. Unsheathing his sword, he began the meticulous task of polishing the blade.

"I don't see why you couldn't just kill the Moon brat. You had her alone and instead you kissed her." Kunzite snarled at how comfortable he was around Queen Beryl.

"That would be too easy." Beryl's lips curved upward in a tantalizing smile. "Let her suffer. Let her feel what it's like to be betrayed by the man she loves."

_The man she loves._

The words echoed through Endymion's mind and cast doubt over his heart. Within an instant he released his grasp on his sword, letting it clatter to the ground. The sharp screech of metal falling onto the marble floor echoed throughout the dark emptiness of the palace. He clutched at his head. It felt as though his brain was swelling, pulsating and throbbing against his skull. As he attempted to stand and open his eyes, a flash of blinding white light blurred his vision and he stumbled back once more.

"_I love you, Darien Chiba"_ He recalled the look of desperation that glistened from her eyes as she looked up at him eagerly. How her soft, warm lips seemed so inviting. He drank in the sight of the light of the moon that danced across her skin and he leant forward to capture her lips with his.

"Endymion!" Beryl swiftly rose to her feet.

"I'm fine." He groaned as the vision before him began to fade. "Just a migraine." A surge of dark energy coursed through his veins and he shook the feeling of confusion from his head. It must've been a trick. Some spell she had implanted into his mind. She was a dangerous opponent, and now he knew just the sort of dirty tricks and illusions she was capable of conjuring. He wasn't going to go easy on her the next time he saw her. If she wanted to play the 'love' card, he would bring it to her, no holds barred.

* * *

. . .

Soooo… Darien's back, yes he is. But he's not the same, is he? Please Review and let me know how I went with this chapter ^_^ Also, I'm compiling a list of dishes to cook for my boyfriend this winter break. So please help me out with some ideas. Let me know some of your favourite dishes to eat and cook.

See you all in two weeks my dears!

_**Crystal Saturn**_


	14. On Fire

Thanks for the foody suggestions guys! I'll certainly endeavour to give them all a try. A lot of them are my favourite foods, too! Yum!

_**Thanks to:**_deedee, Moon Princess Selene, Jenbunny, Usako, life705, Stacey, Bookworm, UniversalBunny, Miss Katrina Malfoy, Susan, x-YingYing-x, SulliMike23, ScarletL, TaliMoonAngel668, TropicalRemix, SerentiyMoonGodness _**and**_ CharmedSerenity3 _**for reviewing the previous chapter.  
**_

* * *

**Title:** Akai Ito  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 14 – On Fire

_"You're on fire when he's near you__  
__You're on fire when he speaks__  
__You're on fire burning at these mysteries"_

"We're glad you're safe" Ami's blue eyes reflected concern.

"What were you thinking running off like that? And you didn't even tell us where you were or if you were OK afterwards. That's so irresponsible of you!" Rei berated, knowing full well that she sounded like a nagging parent. "I don't know what's worse, the fact that you didn't tell us where you were or the fact that you totally bailed on us in the middle of a battle. I almost lost an eyebrow trying to cover for your ass. Venus almost lost an arm!"

Serena sighed wistfully to herself as she recalled the events of the previous night and their second kiss. He was so gentle, and yet the way he acted toward her was still so cold. When she thought Darien's spirit was following her around, she had wished he was more like Tuxedo Mask. But now that she had Tuxedo Mask, it became clear to her that she missed Darien; the new Darien, or at least the one that her mind had conjured.

"-Are you even listening to me, Serena? Where were you?" Rei screeched loudly, breaking Serena's line of thought and snapping her back to reality.

"I-I... was with Tuxedo Mask." Serena frowned slightly, not wanting to tell her friends the truth, but also finding it impossible to keep secrets from them.

"Serena, not again." Mina sighed, "Sweetie, you know those visions of him that you see aren't real right?"

"No, it was Prince Endymion." Serena corrected. "He said he was Darien. He said he was starting to remember me."

"And so you ran off with him, idiot. You could have seriously been hurt." Rei threw her hands into the air with frustration.

"I think what she's trying to say," Lita interrupted, "is that it was a pretty dangerous move. It could have been a trap."

"I know." Serena nodded quietly. She wasn't about to let it slip that he wanted to see her again. She wouldn't let them know that she was going to see him either.

"Promise you won't do it again. Promise you won't see him without us." Lita watched Serena's expression carefully. She nodded slowly, avoiding all eye contact. Tilting her head slightly, Lita noted that Serena wasn't being completely sincere. She seemed distracted.

_Beep beep beep beep!_

Serena's communicator flashed its red light. She removed it from her pocket, flipping the screen open to see Luna's stern expression.

"Serena, there's trouble in the park. Everybody transform and get to the east side of the park as soon as possible!" The screen flashed and Luna's face was replaced with darkness. Serena leapt into action, thrusting her hand into the air and yelling out her transformation phrase. The other soldiers followed suit, surprised at their leader's sudden proactive behaviour.

Sailor Moon struggled to contain her excitement as she raced to the setting for the next battle and her next encounter with Prince Endymion. She suppressed a smile as she approached the clearing within the park and spotted Prince Endymion hovering effortlessly above the chaos. The squid-like monster had its tentacles stretched and latched onto any person within reach. Its chromatophores pulsated with an eerie iridescent glow as it drained the energy of its victims.

"Hold it right there!" Sailor Moon stood proudly just as the other scouts caught up, arriving at the scene. "I won't have you disturb these poor-" Her speech was cut short as a black rose sliced through the air, grazing across Sailor Moon's right arm. It pierced the ground at Sailor Mercury's feet. Sailor Moon's breath caught at the back of her throat as she clutched her wounded arm and looked up at the armour clad man with a teary pain filled expression in her eyes.

"Don't interfere, Sailor Moon." He stood boldly. His cape fluttered behind him as he crossed his well-toned arms. "These matters don't concern you, and unless you plan on relinquishing that Silver Crystal of yours, I suggest you leave."

"I told you he couldn't be trusted." Sailor Mars sneered quietly. Sailor Moon wasn't so sure. Was he really threatening her or was he trying to protect her by warning her to stay away? Either way, she wasn't given time to react to his statement.

"Supreme Thunder!" Jupiter released a surge of electrical power toward the demon cephalopod weakening it, thus severing its hold on its victims. Sailor Moon took this as her cue.

"Moon Healing Escalation!" The dark magic twisted and warped around the image of a human man. He exhaled an agonising groan as he collapsed to the ground with exhaustion. Just as Sailor Moon regained her strength and balance, she found herself under attack once again. Prince Endymion had swiftly swooped toward her, reaching out his hands to strike her. Her heart began to pound within her chest as she barely managed to block his attacks with her hands. She shuffled backwards in an attempt to escape his brutal swipes.

"I thought I told you not to interfere, Sailor Moon." Prince Endymion reprimanded. "Now I will take your Silver Crystal, even if it means taking your life first."

"Darien!" Sailor Moon cried out desperately. Her eyes clamped shut as she felt her back firmly thump up against a tree. There it was. Sailor Mars sensed the familiar energy again. It was the same energy that she felt surrounding Sailor Moon in her first fight against Prince Endymion, but stronger. "Please, stop." Sailor Moon pleaded as Prince Endymion held her firmly against the tree using his left arm. With his right, he reached for his broad sword, skilfully hoisting it from its sheath and raising it to her throat.

"I'm sorry." The tall Prince of darkness towered over the petite soldier of the Moon. He whispered quietly into her ear, so only she could hear. "The Dark Kingdom is watching. I need your fear to be convincing." He leant against his sword, but found it would not budge any further. An invisible force was acting as a buffer against him. Try as he might, he could not get the steel of his sword to rest against the flesh of her throat. "Please meet me at the apartment later." With a painful groan, Sailor Moon nodded ever so slightly. Prince Endymion released his hold of her and softened his grip on his sword momentarily as she lowered her guard. With two hands, he swiftly gripped toward the centre of the hilt of his sword and struck upwards, partially succeeding in his objective to maim Sailor Moon. The blade of his sword barely cut across her cheek, leaving a shallow superficial scratch before it was repelled again by the invisible force.

"Crescent Beam!"

"Fire Soul!" Sailor Mars combined her attack with Sailor Venus' in an attempt to save their leader. Prince Endymion cursed aloud as the energy blasted him from behind. Searing heat and blinding light passed through his body and he leant on the pommel of his sword to steady himself. Grasping at his chest, he groaned loudly. Sailor Moon struggled against her will to remain calm and did not reach out to assist the dark warrior. Truth be told, he still terrified her. Twice he had succeeded in drawing blood from her during battle.

"You were lucky this time, Sailor Moon. But next time..." Prince Endymion panted as he continued to clutch his chest. His voice bellowed menacingly, but his eyes called to her. It was something in the way that he looked at her. With a maelstrom of black rose petals, he was gone.

"Sailor Moon!" Mercury, Venus and Jupiter rushed to her side as she slumped up against the tree.

"Are you alright?" Sailor Mercury examined and tended to her wounds. Sailor Mars remained still as she observed her leader from afar. The fiery priestess was the only other one on the field to notice that no matter how hard Prince Endymion tried, he simply did not have the strength to inflict much damage to Sailor Moon. Whether or not it was self willed or a force more powerful, she did not know. But one thing was for sure, something curious was protecting Sailor Moon. An invisible energy shadowed her every movement as a civilian, and enveloped her during battle.

"Thanks for your concern, everyone, but I'm alright. They're just scratches." Sailor Moon attempted to smile though she was still visibly shaken. "I'm tired. That took a lot out of me. I'm going to go home to rest." She cheerfully waved away Sailor Mercury's aid and bounded away toward Darien's apartment. Merely a block away, she snuck into an alleyway, fearing that the mid-afternoon light was still bright enough to expose her secret to any curious onlookers who happened to witness their favourite super heroine drop onto the building balcony. Sailor Moon powered down, veiled by the cover of partial shade.

Serena casually strolled out of the alleyway, patting down any stray hairs and adjusting her clothes. Nervously, she strolled into the lobby of Darien's building and headed straight for the elevator. Level eight, apartment number seventy five. Inserting the key and turning the door knob, Serena entered cautiously and shut the door behind her.

"Hello? Prince Endymion?" She called out as she stepped into the dimly lit room.

"You came." His deep voice echoed back in response from behind her. Serena spun around and came face to face with Tuxedo Mask. He stood in silence for a moment, observing the young girl.

"It's me, Serena. I thought it might jog some of your memories if you saw me like this, instead of as Sailor Moon."

"Yes, Serena." Tuxedo Mask nodded. He removed his mask to set a more intimate mood and approached the teenager. He was quietly cautious, prepared for the encounter to be a trap. She didn't back away, nor did she leave any indication of an impending attack. She simply gazed into his eyes and smiled as he said her name. "Serena." He whispered as he slowly raised his hand to her face. She leant in closer, closing her eyes and relishing his touch. With his thumb, he gently traced her cheek, brushing up against where he had cut her. Serena winced and pulled away slightly.

"That hurts." She broke her eye contact momentarily as a pained expression crossed her features. With that cut, he had hurt her in more ways than one.

"I'm sorry." Tuxedo Mask grasped Serena's hand, holding it within his own. With his free hand he reached down to caress her jaw line which gained her full attention once again. His cool blue eyes displayed a stern, penetrating quality as he studied the wound again. His eyes fell upon hers and locked in an intimate stare. She noticed that they softened and guilt replaced his steeled features. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I only wanted to make it look like I was going to."

"It's fine. It's just a scratch." A small smile tugged at the corner of Serena's lips. "I know you wouldn't hurt me." Tuxedo Mask endeavoured to hide his surprise. She believed and trusted him, even after he had blatantly attacked her. He leant down and ever so softly pressed his lips against the cut that he had created on her cheek. The strangest feeling of longing and nostalgia welled up within him. There was something oddly familiar about the intimate moment that they were sharing. It stirred up uncomfortable feelings within him, but he wanted more. Like a long forgotten memory, yearning to be rediscovered, Tuxedo Mask found that he simply couldn't leave her well alone, not until he worked out exactly what it was he was feeling.

"Serena," His voice was barely audible. Pulling away to look her in the eyes once again, he felt a rush of dark energy. He let out a low groan and Serena swore she could see passionate, possessive flames reflected in his eyes. Within an instant his demeanour changed. His arms snaked around Serena's waist, pulling her body closer and pressing her small frame against his. He hastily crushed his lips against hers in a passionate kiss, holding and claiming her like no man had ever done before. Serena's breath caught at the back of her throat as her heart began to beat wildly in her chest. The intensity of this kiss was a stark contrast to the tender innocent kisses she had previously shared with Darien. In spite of her lack of experience, Serena felt as though her spirit was on fire. Electric tingles flared across her lips and she clutched at Tuxedo Mask. Even though being there with him was completely taboo, she relished every second of it. It was thrilling, invigorating, and she never wanted it to end. With one hand securely on the small of her back, he allowed the other to creep up the side of her body ever so slowly. Serena's eyes snapped open in an instant as his hands brushed up against one of her breasts. She struggled against him, pushing him away.

"You're not Darien." She dashed toward the door, putting as much distance between them as she could. "Darien wouldn't..." Her face flushed a shade of scarlet red in embarrassment and anger.

"Serena, wait." Tuxedo Mask stalked the timid teenager down. "I'm sorry." He held her hand once again. "Don't you remember? Don't you remember our relationship on the Moon Kingdom? It was intense and passionate to say the least..."

"We..." Serena frowned as she recalled spirit Darien's words. "We're both different people now." She fumbled with her fingers nervously, avoiding his gaze. "I believe you're Prince Endymion, and I'm sure Princess Serenity loved you once, a long time ago. But in this lifetime I am merely Serena, and the man that I fell in love with is Darien." Serena blinked away tears as she lifted her hand to caress the strong line of his jaw. "You look so much like him, but he died last week. This, what we're doing now, is just a fantasy. It's a dream. A lie. Nothing more."

"Serenity. Sailor Moon. Serena." Prince Endymion slowly closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against hers. "It's me, Darien." Serena shook her head gently. Tears threatened to fall from her cerulean eyes. "Even if it were just a dream, I only wish to love my princess. I wish for her Silver Crystal to set me free. You wish you could have Darien. You wish for me to share his memories. We both need each other. Can't we just dream together, even if it is only for a little while?" Serena closed her eyes and nodded quietly. She was playing with fire, and she knew the risks that brought with it.

"I'm glad. I must go now before the Dark Kingdom notices that I'm missing. Will you meet me again tomorrow?" Prince Endymion reached for Serena's hand, pressing his lips against them gently. Serena nodded obediently. Prince Endymion leant over and kissed her gently across her tainted cheek before disappearing in a flurry of black rose petals. Serena sighed as she leant back against the front door of Darien's apartment. He had her right where he wanted her. She was in love with him. He had her wrapped around his little finger.

* * *

. . .

There you have another chapter guys. The next one should be an interesting one... until then, Please review!

_**Crystal Saturn**_


	15. The Shadow Proves the Sunshine

Hello my pretties! This weekend marks the 10th anniversary of my account on . That's right, Exactly one decade ago, I signed up to this site as a pimply, geeky little teenager, to write awful sappy love stories. And here I am ten years later... the pimples are mostly gone... I'm even geekier than I was before, and I'm still writing those horribly sappy love stories (But hopefully my writing style has improved over the years).

_**Thanks to:**_ TaliMoonAngel668, life705, deedee, Jessica, Miss Katrina Malfoy, AnnyP, SerentiyMoonGodness, Seleine, Fluffy, Big Fan, boston, SusanGold, Usako, TropicalRemix, Moon Princess Selene, ScarletL, CharmedSerenity3, UniversalBunny, sailormoon489_** and**_ SulliMike23 _**for reviewing the previous chapter.**_

* * *

**Title:** Akai Ito  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated: **T  
**Chapter:** 15 – The Shadow Proves the Sunshine

_"My heart is darker than these oceans__  
__My heart is frozen underneath  
__. . .  
Two scared little runaways  
__Hold fast till the break of daylight when  
__The shadow proves the sunshine"_

Serena's dreamy eyes languidly opened for a second before shutting once more. She felt his chest rise and fall with every breath. Her index finger gently nudged his, as the rest of her fingers lay snugly intertwined with his.

"Endymion?" She queried as they both lazily lay on Darien's bed. He turned toward her, his eyes focusing on hers. "Do you love me?" Serena watched as he looked away pensively for a moment.

"It's hard to say. The brainwashing from the Dark Kingdom has changed me. I'm filled with dark thoughts and my memories are faded. Any foggy memories that remain are of Princess Serenity."

"Oh, I see."

"I wish I could be Darien for you, princess. But it's hard enough for me to maintain my composure around you as it is. I've been reprogrammed to kill you, and it's getting harder and harder for me to control myself around you." Prince Endymion sighed in frustration. "I fear the dark energy is taking over. I don't know how much longer I can do this. With every battle I have to face against you, my will is weakened and the Dark Kingdom strengthens its hold over me."

"I want to help you. Surely there's something I can do." Serena jolted upright on the bed eagerly.

"I'm sorry, Serena." The prince shook his head in dismay. "The only thing that can help me is the Silver Crystal. Without that crystal, I cannot stand a chance of fighting the Dark Kingdom. I'll probably never return to being the same Darien that you know and love."

"But what if I healed you using the Crystal?"

"It's no use!" Prince Endymion barked before he could check his frustration. He calmed himself before continuing once again. "I'm sorry, but we've been through this. It wouldn't work. Would you not lend me the Silver Crystal?"

"Endymion, you said it yourself, the dark energy is taking over you. If I gave you the crystal, it might just destroy you both. I can't risk losing you again." Serena sat up on the bed and placed a hand on the Prince's arm in an attempt to calm him.

"Well, I'm afraid that's an idea you're just going to have to get used to, because without the Silver Crystal, I, Darien, have no hope of surviving the Dark Kingdom. Do you have any idea what they would do to me if they found out I was seeing you?" Prince Endymion stood from the bed and began to pace up and down the room. "Maybe we shouldn't do this anymore. You're right, we're both different people now. You're nothing like the princess that I fell in love with." Before Serena could respond, Endymion grasped the corner of his cape, flicking it as he turned and disappeared, back to the Dark Kingdom. Once again, Serena was left alone in Darien's apartment bedroom, sobbing at the loss of the man she loved.

"Why is this so hard?" She called out to the empty room. "Is love really meant to be this difficult?" She was answered by a familiar beeping in her pocket. Wiping her tears away hastily Serena reached for her communicator. Another battle, at the lake. Was he doing this as an act of revenge? She took a deep breath to compose herself as she stood up in the empty apartment and transformed.

* * *

She was right. He was on a rage filled rampage, summoning monsters and sending orbs or dark energy surging towards civilians.

"Stop! Endy, please stop!" Sailor Moon called out, not having time to announce her presence in her traditional manner.

"Why? Why should I? This is what you want isn't it? You've discarded me, pushed me aside to become corrupted and evil. You've given me up to the Dark Kingdom."

"That's not true!"

"Don't you trust me, Sailor Moon?" Prince Endymion swirled another orb of dark energy within the palm of his hand as he stood twenty paces in front of her.

"I do," Sailor Moon pleaded desperately. "I trusted you with my life."

"Then why won't you lend me the Silver Crystal? Why don't you want me to be free?"

"I do!" Sailor Moon stepped closer to the armour clad man. "I trust you, Endymion. I'll give you the Silver Crystal." The pretty soldier stepped forward and grasped hold of her brooch. Pastel pink ribbons of silk enveloped Sailor Moon's form as she de-transformed back into her civilian form.

"You'll do no such thing." Sailor Jupiter announced the arrival of the other Sailor Soldiers.

"Rin, Pyou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!" Sailor Mars chanted as she projected a paper charm toward the Dark Prince. He smirked and side stepped her attack, pushing Serena in the way instead. To the surprise of all involved, the scroll's trajectory ended swiftly and became fixed in the air, merely a foot away from Serena.

"What in the-"

"How did-"

"Let me do a scan." Sailor Mercury clicked her visor in place as she typed numerous digits and calculations into her palm held computer. Serena stared at the back of the talisman in disbelief. She was abruptly snapped out of her trance as she heard a groan escape from the lips of the man beside her. He cursed out loud as he struggled to move and regain control of his body.

"It worked?" Sailor Mars exchanged confused glances with the other Sailor Soldiers. Serena reached her hand out in front of her to check if there were any strings magically holding the talisman up in mid air. The air around her hand felt cool.

"Sereeeena!" His anguished voice rang through the air as he called her name. The teenager swiftly turned to face the man who she assumed was the source of the cry for help. Prince Endymion fell to his knees, clutching his head. "Serena!" The voice called out once more. It wasn't Endymion.

"Darien?" Serena's voice trembled as she looked about her. Sailor Mars' eyes shot up in an instant. The familiar aura manifested itself around the scroll.

"I'm detecting a strange energy where the talisman is." Sailor Mercury frowned as she attempted to decipher the code on her computer screen. "It seems to be human energy, but that can't be right. There's no one there."

"Sere... I love..." His voice rang out again before the anguished cries of Prince Endymion drowned out the sound. Flashes of light played out in his mind's eye. Endymion struggled to gasp for air as visions swarmed around him. _A test paper. A black shoe. An elevator transformation. Paper roses. A kiss. A confession._ It couldn't be. Those visions couldn't be his memories, could they? How could memories hurt so much? Surely they must have been implanted. Endymion clutched one hand on his temple as he used to other to reach for Serena. He stumbled upon her roughly and used his fingers to pry the brooch from her fingers before groaning and disappearing to escape the agony.

"My brooch! The crystal!" Serena called out in fear as she desperately grasped and clawed at the space that Prince Endymion had previously occupied. "He has the crystal and I can't transform!"

"Serena, we told you something like this would happen." Sailor Mars reprimanded as she cautiously approached the distraught teen and the mysteriously levitating paper charm. "Now, what are we going to do about this?"

"Is it a monster?" Sailor Venus also approached carefully from behind Mars.

"Should we try to vanquish it?" Jupiter's trigger happy fingers began to twitch with sparks of static electricity.

"No!" Serena leapt to her feet in a heartbeat. Looking up at where the talisman levitated, she reached up and plucked it away, dropping it to the floor. "Why can't I see you anymore?"

"I don't understand." Venus watched as her leader discarded the paper scroll and stared pensively at the air around her.

"He's been protecting her all along." Sailor Mars began to explain, but became distracted as a glowing red fibre caught her attention. She watched as it twitched and expanded to wrap around Serena's right ankle. She displayed no inkling of its presence.

"Who's been protecting her?" Sailor Jupiter cocked her head to the side as she struggled to keep up with the odd conversation, or lack of, currently occurring.

"Darien..." Serena waved a quivering hand in front of her. A chilling draft of air enveloped her and tousled her hair as it danced across her bare skin. She shuddered slightly as she shut her eyes and savoured the feeling. A cool easterly breeze picked up, and Serena could have sworn she heard her name being carried by the wind. "Darien." She whispered once more. She could feel his cool fingers graze along her cheek momentarily before disappearing.

"How is this even possible?" Sailor Mercury continued to enter figures into her computer.

"_Akai Ito._" Both Serena and Sailor Mars answered in unison. The blue eyed teen glanced over at the dark haired priestess with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. Could she sense it too?

"Wait a minute, so that means Darien's spirit really did follow Serena around for a week?" Venus also attempted to understand the situation.

"I told you, I'm not crazy. Destiny made it so I was the only one who could see him." Serena frowned. "But something happened when Darien died. I lost him."

"Or so you thought." Sailor Mars interjected. "Serena, I would have told you earlier if I had known, but I think Darien has been by your side this whole time. Every battle you've had against Prince Endymion, Darien was there, protecting you. It was his aura we sensed."

"Then was that his voice that we heard just before?" Venus questioned. Her query was confirmed with a nod from Serena. She was strangely quiet as the Sailor Soldiers continued to discuss the strange occurrence. Something wasn't quite right, and the Soldier of Love could sense it. Something had changed within Serena, and it was strengthening her bond with Darien. Sailor Venus slowly approached Serena, who avoided making eye contact with the guardian of love. "You've been seeing Endymion, haven't you?" Serena continued to look away. "You kissed him."

"I..." Serena wrung her hands together nervously. "How did you-"

"You said it yourself, at the hospital, the day that Darien passed away. You said _'The moment we kissed, he stopped being a spirit and became real,'_ and seeing how you weren't aware of Darien's spirit this time, it wasn't him you kissed. Darien's aura is becoming stronger somehow, and I think it's because of your contact with Prince Endymion."

"Serena, we told you not to see him anymore, but you went and met up with him anyway? What were you thinking?" Sailor Mercury uncharacteristically scolded her leader.

"I wasn't. I just wanted to see him. I knew it was dangerous, but I needed to be near him." Serena answered quietly. Hot tears began to form in her eyes.

"Well, it doesn't matter now. As strange as it may seem, it was probably the best thing that Serena could have done." Sailor Jupiter shrugged, forming a plan of attack in her mind. "It seems that Darien's spirit and his body can't be dominant at the same time. When Serena could see him, his spirit was at its strongest, but his body lay in a coma. Now that the Dark Kingdom has awakened the dark warrior within his body, it seems that his spirit is weakened. So it looks like the way to defeat Prince Endymion, is to keep seeing him."

"It's dangerous, but it might just work to strengthen Darien's spirit, and weaken Endymion's body." Mercury mused as she endeavoured to keep up with Sailor Jupiter's convoluted theory.

"It won't work, it's too late." Serena fell to her knees as the gravity of the situation dawned upon her. "He already has what he wants from me. He has the Silver Crystal. By now, the Dark Kingdom is probably planning to use it to destroy the world." She quietly sobbed into the palms of her hands. "My prince has betrayed me. He has condemned us all. It's over."

* * *

Prince Endymion stumbled and grabbed hold of the balcony railing as he reappeared at the one place he knew he was safe to hide at for now. At the apartment, he knew he could lay low and evade the Dark Kingdom for long enough to allow him to collect his thoughts. He wondered about the likelihood of Serena appearing and discovering his hideout, but decided against it. She had bigger things to worry about. After all, he had just stolen the Silver Crystal.

The sound of her voice still rang in his ears even though he was across the other side of town. It was a curious experience, still being able to hear her conversation. Was it a trick? Maybe another one of her mind games? As Endymion held the brooch in his hands, doubt began to set in. Confusion fogged his senses and every belief that he had previously understood to be truth, suddenly became uncertain. A wave of nostalgia overcame him and he clutched at his head once more. His mind struggled to search for memories that were no longer there. There was nothing that he knew for certain. Yes he was the Dark Prince, warrior for the Dark Kingdom, but at the same time, there was a certain appeal to Serena's innocence. Something within him wanted to believe that she was right and true. The more time he spent around her, the more comfortable and familiar it felt. And then her voice...

"_It won't work, it's too late. He already has what he wants from me... My prince has betrayed me. He has condemned us all. It's over."_

"_My Prince has betrayed me."_

"_My Prince..."_

Her words moved him to feel in a way he had never felt before. Guilt overcame his senses and in a moment, he wanted to take it all back. He wanted to make it right and return to her the Silver Crystal. But the suspicion programmed into his mind wouldn't let him drop his guard. For all he knew, it could've all been a well planned trap. Endymion groaned once more as he stalked into the apartment and slumped across the bed. Until he could sort out his thoughts from his feelings, and figure out a plan of attack, he would drop from the radar and disappear. The Silver Crystal was far too important to simply hand over to the wrong person. Until he could figure out friend from foe, Prince Endymion decided that he would remain in self exile.

* * *

. . .

There's another chapter guys. I'm a little behind in my chapters so I may not update Akai Ito in a little while. We'll see how it goes. Hopefully I'll get motivated to continue on with this story, but I seem to be a little distracted with Summer Rain at the moment (and a little sick too) But anyway, please review ^_^

_**Crystal Saturn**_


	16. Life and Love and Why

Damn. It's been over a year since I posted the last chapter. I'M SO SORRY! Writer's block is a total drag, but believe me when I say that I've been trying to push through it. It may have been a year since my last chapter, but seriously, I've been working on this chapter on and off for at least 6 months. It's the longest I have ever taken to write ANYTHING. Anyway, onwards!

_**Thanks to:**_ Boston, TropicalRemix, angeljme, wannabe kairi, Sailorfan reborned, Perfect Beauty, Jenbunny, fluffy, Francis, Miss Katrina Malfoy, Moon Princess Selene, Jessica, SulliMike23, life705, CharmedSerenity3, TaliMoonAngel668, _**and**_ UniversalBunny _**for reviewing the previous chapter.**_

I haven't done a chapter dedication in a long time, but this chapter is most DEFINITELY dedicated to **boston**. Over the past year, you never gave up on this story, and without your encouraging reviews, this chapter would *still* not be complete. I felt that I just _had_ to write something to acknowledge that I am getting your reviews, and that I am truly grateful. I didn't want to let you down. Thank you **boston, **this chapter's for you!

* * *

**Title:** Akai Ito  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 16- Life and Love and Why

"_Ask me for what am I living,  
Or what gives me strength  
That I'm willing to die for"_

It had been an emotionally draining day. Although Serena was exhausted, she found it herself extremely restless and agitated, making it almost impossible for her to gain a night of peaceful undisturbed slumber. But of course, who could sleep knowing that the end of the world was looming on the horizon, ready to bear down its wrath and bring about eternal darkness. Serena groaned in frustration as she kicked her covers away from over her head and flipped on to her side. There he lay, her angel amidst the darkness.

The moonlight shone through his eerily translucent silhouette as he lay on his side, eyes shut and hands clasped together in a prayer like manner, tucked under his head. He looked so peaceful lying next to her. His bare chest rose and fell with every deep, sleep filled breath he took. Serena rubbed her eyes dazedly in an attempt to correct her possibly, mistaken vision. He seemed so delicate, so fragile. It was almost as though his features were merely lingering wisps of candle smoke left over from a flame recently extinguished. Serena reached her hand out with hesitation. She brushed her fingers along his cool chest. A faint glow momentarily enveloped him as the lines of his figure became more visible and dominant. Serena's breath caught at the back of her throat. It was him. She continued to skim her fingertips across his arms and he shuddered in his sleep.

"I thought you said spirits don't need to sleep." Serena thought out loud, smiling to herself as she mentally noted all the changes to Darien's spirit self, the most obvious, being the lack of clothing adorning his upper body. It made her blush like crazy knowing that Darien was sleeping beside her in her bed without his shirt on, even if he was still almost invisible. How many nights had he spent like that, by her side, without her knowing? Serena edged closer to semi-nude man and nuzzled her head against his cool chiselled chest, closing her eyes to rest.

"Mmm... so warm..." He murmured under his breath as he felt her warmth, pressed up against his chest. One of his arms moved as he slept and his hand subconsciously found its way to the small of her back, holding her close.

Warmth, it was something he could only feel with her. It didn't matter how many blankets he crawled under, or how close he got to the flames of a fire, not sunlight or even hot water could warm his spirit. There was only one thing that altered his icy physiology, and it was her.

"Sere..." he hummed into her hair, kissing the top of her head gently as she slept.

As the sun chased the last remnants of the previous night's shadows away, it shone its light into Serena's window, splashing a gentle mauve radiance across her bedroom walls. It signified the glimpse of another day, and hope that the Dark Kingdom would not use the Silver Crystal to destroy all life in the galaxy. Not yet at least. Serena's eyes fluttered open. A quick scan of her bedroom confirmed her suspicions. He was gone again. Had it all been a dream? Merely an illusion of the heart? No, it had to have been real, for a single red paper rose lay on her study table. A kiss of cool air caressed her right cheek as she slowly sat up in bed, still bleary eyed and in need of more sleep.

"Good morning Darien." She stifled a yawn and contemplated shuffling back under the covers to resume her slumber. She had to believe he was there, because not believing meant that she would have to surrender some hope of the possibility of her Darien coming back. He gave her strength to face Endymion and the upcoming challenge of somehow regaining the Silver Crystal. He gave her hope of a new love and a future together. His existence reminded her of everything she had, and a world that was worth fighting for. Even still, six in the morning was too early in the day to be fighting the Dark Kingdom. Serena snuggled back into her bed, pulling the covers over her shoulders and drifted back to sleep.

* * *

Endymion paced up and down the floor of the apartment bedroom. What was he to do? It was only a matter of time before the Dark Kingdom tracked him down. He could only hide here for so long. Serena also had access to his hideout and it was almost certain that she too would appear before long. But maybe that's what he was waiting for. Maybe that's what he wanted, another confrontation. Why here, though? What was this place? What made it so special? Endymion searched about the apartment. There were no photo frames about. No little trinkets that gave any hint as to the identity of the owner. The furniture that decorated the apartment was minimalistic and of neutral tones. The whole place seemed plain and devoid of any homely touches.

Desperate for information, any clues at all to divulge the identity of the apartment's owner, Endymion pulled out drawers and searched through them. _Medical journals. Articles on biomedical science. _Was this person an academic? Maybe a doctor? He continued his search, his curiosity beckoning him toward the wardrobe in the corner of the bedroom. _A black turtleneck. Grey slacks. A green jacket? _Why did that jacket seem so familiar? Something within Endymion urged him to search deeper. Spotting the bedside table, he swiftly marched toward it, eagerly yanking on the metal ring of the top drawer. Success, what looked like a photograph. Black ink markings scrawled across the back of the photo paper.

"_Hey Darien! Another typical Saturday at the Arcade. This photo captures your chemistry. Thought I'd give you a picture or some(one)thing you wanted, for your birthday. - Andrew"_

Endymion turned over the photograph. His eyes widened as he focused his gaze at the dark haired man grinning cheekily at a pouting Serena in the photo. It was him. He was wearing a black turtle neck shirt under a green jacket. The same one that hung in the apartment wardrobe.

_Darien_

The name resonated within his mind. She had called him by that name when they first met. She tried to convince him that he had been brainwashed. Was she right? She had called out his name again during their latest battle. In fact, Queen Beryl had ordered him to take on the persona of Darien Chiba as he tried to seduce Sailor Moon into giving him her Silver Crystal. Why? Why was he pretending to be a man that looked exactly like him? How could such a person exist? If Serena was right and he was Darien after all, then why did he not remember anything about his own life? Either way, someone was lying, and Endymion still had no idea who he could trust.

The mechanisms within the lock of the front door clicked into place. The sound reverberated down the hallway, gaining Endymion's attention. It was her. Did she know that he was hiding there? Could she sense him, like he could now sense her? It wouldn't be long before he found out. Endymion ducked into the ensuite bathroom to hide as Serena quietly walked into the apartment. He reached for the grip of his sword and listened for her footsteps growing louder as her slipper clad feet padded down the hallway and into the bedroom. She sighed wistfully, heading straight for the wardrobe. As she opened the wooden doors, she pulled Darien's green jacket from its hanger. Wrapping it around her shoulders, she shuffled over to the queen size bed and crawled on top of the sheets.

"I've missed you, Darien." Serena hummed softly as she closed her eyes and imagined her protector lying by her side, much like the night when he had kissed her for the very first time.

* * *

The arcade doors slid seamlessly open, and the dark warrior stepped through. The constant electronic sound of arcade games, button mashing and the rustling of coins barely drowned out the noise of his heavy boots clicking against the tiled floor as he paced swiftly over towards the counter.

"Darien?" Andrew dropped a tray in disbelief.

"Darien's dead." Endymion's eyes silently scanned across the arcade as he noticed patrons slowly beginning to turn their gaping stares toward his direction.

"Right, of course... Who are you then?" Andrew lowered his voice to a hushed whisper as his gaze also briefly inspected the arcade, hoping that the oddly dressed man wasn't gaining too much attention. Endymion simply held up the photograph in his possession. "Ha ha! Buddy, the cosplay convention is across on the other side of town! Here, let me draw you a map." Andrew ushered the strange looking Darien doppelganger into the back room before proceeding with his previous line of questioning. "Darien never told me he had any other family, but the resemblance is just astounding. Who are you?"

"Tell me more about him." The mysterious man pointed to the picture once again.

"Uh, I don't know what to tell you. His name was Darien Chiba. He was a university student. He liked wearing green jackets. He was secretly in love with that girl in the photo, but wouldn't ever admit it. He was quiet, a hard worker, smart, and my best friend." Andrew attempted to sum up Darien's life in the simplest way. "Now it's your turn. Who are you?"

"I don't know." The dark haired man turned his attention back at the photograph in his hands. "I think I _am_ Darien."

* * *

Darien grazed the back of his fingers across Serena's sleeping face, trying to push the stray strands of golden hair away from her eyes. She murmured softly in her sleep. Lately, it seemed like sleep was all she wanted to so. It was her only solace in a time where, at any moment, the world she knew and loved could end. She missed Darien, and it was as though only sleep could take away the aching in her heart, and replace it with fond memories and dreams of a happier time with her prince.

"I know you can't hear me, Sere, but I want you to know that I'll always protect you." Darien curled his translucent body closer to the petite sleeping girl in an attempt to feel her warmth. "You know," He began, tracing the outline of her bottom lip. "It's been so long since I've seen you smile. I would give anything to see you happy again." Leaning back against the bed, he watched her sleeping peacefully and burned that image of her into his memory. She always looked so serene when she slept. "We'll be together again. I promise."

Just at that moment, the sound of the apartment door gently clicking shut resonated from down the hallway. Darien swiftly rose to his feet, taking a protective stance beside Serena's sleeping form as the sound of footsteps began to grow louder.

"Woah, at ease, soldier." Endymion's deep voice preceded him as he quietly stepped into the carpeted bedroom.

"You can see me?" Darien took a defensive step forward as he clenched his jaw, ready for a showdown.

"It seems so. Maybe it's because I have the Silver Crystal now, or maybe it's because we're the same person." A seemingly dangerous smirk spread across Endymion's lips.

"We're not the same person." Darien's eyes lowered into a glare. "The fact that my spirit is over here proves that the Dark Kingdom is using my body as a means to manipulate Sailor Moon. I don't know who you are, but you're not me. You never will be, and you're not fooling anyone."

"Au contraire, my little fairy spirit, but it looks like I already have Sailor Moon eating out of the palm of my hand, and whether _you_ like it or not, _she_ loves it." Endymion watched as Darien raised a fist. "What are you going to do, punch yourself in the face? Because once again, whether you like it or not, it turns out that we really are one and the same."

"What..." Darien lowered his hand slowly. "What are you talking about?"

"Tell me, Darien, how did you and Serena first meet?" Endymion watched in contentment as Darien's eyes glazed over for a moment and he looked away. The armour clad man folded his arms across his chest in amusement as his other self seemed to be struggling with the question. "Something about a test paper..." Endymion hinted after a few more moments, knowing all too well that it would not help.

"What's going on?" Darien shook his head briefly as he struggled to wade through the mess of memories in his mind.

"Well, you see. A funny thing happened when I took the Silver Crystal from Serena, it started to restore some of my, or, your memories." Endymion reached into a leather pouch near his sword and produced Sailor Moon's locket. Waving his hand across the dull crystal, Endymion's form changed and he powered down into his civilian form, clad in grey slacks and a black turtle neck sweater.

"If you really are me, and you really do have my memories, then surely you know that Sailor Moon is the true wielder of the Silver Crystal." Darien glanced down at the sleeping teen to check that she had not been awoken by their conversation. "You'd know that you're not meant to have it. She is."

"That may be true, but you're forgetting, Darien, that I'm merely a vessel of the Dark Kingdom. Even with my memories coming back, Dark energy still courses through my veins. With your heart and your purity trapped as a spirit outside your body, who's to stop me from manipulating your memories and corrupting Sailor Moon and the Silver Crystal in order to take over the world all by myself?"

"You can't do that." Darien's voice threatened in a low growl. "I won't let you."

"What are you going to do?" Endymion slowly stepped toward his semi-transparent reflection, reaching through his chest to pry the green jacket from Serena's shoulders. "One by one, all of your memories are disappearing and becoming mine. It won't be long until you disappear too. Then who will protect Serena?"

"You will." Darien watched as Endymion turned his back away from him, flinging his green jacket over his shoulder and let out a sceptical laugh. "You don't know it yet. But when the time comes, _you_ will be the one throwing yourself in front of her to shield her from harm, because _you _love her."

"We'll see," Endymion briefly glanced over his shoulder at Serena's sleeping form before walking out of the room. "I doubt it, but only time will tell."

* * *

. . .

So, just when you thought it was all coming together, I make Endymion crazy evil again ^_^ Right, well, I'm still stuck with what to do here, so I may need to take a bit more time to plan out the rest of my chapters a little more thoroughly. I also _desperately _need to update _**Summer Rain**_ too. Ugh. I'll try to update soon!

_**Crystal Saturn**_


	17. Enough To Let Me Go

As promised, it's November and I'm back! This chapter officially ends my hiatus and signifies the end of my undergrad degree. Forgive my writing style if it's a little awkward at times, it will take me a while to get out of academic writing style and back into creative writing. I now have a plan for _**Akai Ito**_ and my outline sees it having 21 chapters, so the end is near!

_**Thanks to:**_ MissTexMex, IzzyKstone, Guest, Perfect Beauty, Phoenix, Guest, SailorLeia, Guest, veronica, moon86, Guest, SailorMoon489, Guest, LoveInTheBattleField, LLW, Guest, UnwrittenOpus, new fan, Guest, Miss Katrina Malfoy _**and**_ boston _**for reviewing the previous chapter**_

* * *

**Title: **Akai Ito  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 17- Enough to Let Me Go

_I'm a wandering soul_  
_I'm still walking the line that leads me home_  
_Alone_

_. . ._  
_But every seed dies before it grows_  
_Do you love me enough to let me go?_

Serena awoke from her slumber, feeling like she had barely slept at all. Noticing almost immediately that Darien's jacket was missing, she patted down the bed and searched the floor beside her to see if she had dropped it. It was nowhere to be found.

"Darien?" She called out to the empty room. A cool tingle across her hand reassured her of his presence. "Darien, I miss you so much. I'm so glad you're still with me." Another cool touch spread across Serena's lips and she smiled. "I should probably get home." She yawned and stretched her arms above her head before straightening out the bed sheets and making sure all windows and doors were locked as they were when she first walked in.

As the elevator reached the lobby level, the doors opened slowly, revealing what looked to be man standing before her, clad in grey slacks, a black turtleneck and a distinctive green dinner jacket. The breath caught at the back of her throat and the blood drained from Serena's face as she watched him smile at her briefly.

"Serena, what are you doing here?" He asked, tilting his head gently to one side in mild curiosity.

"I..." Serena began just as the elevator doors began to shut. The dark haired man reached his hand out to stop the doors from closing any further.

"Did you come to see me?" Another playful smile graced his lips.

"Mr Chiba," At that moment, the lobby receptionist walked past with a bundle of letters. "Here's your mail for the past few weeks."

"Thank you, Ryo. I'll have next month's rent paid by the end of the week." The Darien look-a-like gave a cool smile to the receptionist as he shot him his trademark Tuxedo Mask salute, before turning his attention back to Serena. "Shall we head upstairs?" Without waiting for a response, he walked into the elevator and pressed the button for the eighth level.

"Wait, no!" Serena ducked past the tall man and swiftly stepped out of the elevator. "I don't..." She shook her head to clear it from the foggy confusion that currently consumed her. "I have no idea what's going on... or who you are... but I think I need to go." The blonde teen turned swiftly on her heels and dashed toward the exit.

"Serena, wait!" Darien's doppelganger chased down the girl, finally catching up to her and stopping her in the middle of a busy Tokyo sidewalk. The air was still but Serena's long golden locks tossed about her as a cool breeze raised the hairs on her arms like a signal to be cautious. "Serena, don't you remember me?" The man asked, almost incredulously. "It's me, Darien!"

"I don't know who you think you are, but you're not Darien." Serena pulled away slowly; all the while, her mind raced and her heart betrayed her, pounding with the excitement of a lover in the embrace of her beau.

"Serena, it's me." A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He meant it as affection, and as always, she read it as a sort of condescension and frowned. A nostalgic feeling swept over her. "I told you the Silver Crystal would help me. It's slowly healing me and restoring my memories."

"Endymion?" Serena's defences immediately returned as she took another step back to distance herself from him.

"Please don't be afraid, it really is me." Endymion raised his hands, as though he was displaying a sort of unarmed defeat. "I'll prove it to you. I'm starting to remember some things..." Serena found her defences gradually melting away with the sound of his voice. Even though she could feel Darien's spirit beside her, she still couldn't help but fall for Endymion's charm. From the small gestures, to his reserved smiles, he was so convincing. As he began to reminisce about the memories that they shared, Serena found herself unravelling and succumbing to every one of his words.

Darien stood beside Serena as Endymion spouted stories of a wayward shoe and some sort of test paper projectile. He listened as the man dressed in his clothes continued to pretend that some sort of memory was 'coming back' to him. Unbeknownst to them all, as Darien watched Serena fall for each and every one of Endymion's false memories, the red thread that connected Darien's spirit to Serena began to unravel and fade. In a matter of seconds, it was gone, and for Darien, the feeling of being cold increased tenfold. It was an empty iciness that he had only ever experienced once before.

Darien watched as his hand faded in and out of transparency, and in an instant, he knew that he was running out of time. Reaching out, he frantically waved his hand through Serena in an attempt to gain her attention, but it didn't seem to work. She no longer felt his touch. Cursing out loud, Darien knew that he had to leave her with him. This couldn't wait any longer. With one last kiss on her cheek, he left her side, and ran as fast as he could to the Tsukino residence.

Pushing his way through walls and doors, Darien finally made his way into Serena's room. Reaching around for something, anything he could use to leave her a note on. He grasped at her pen tin with no avail. He still couldn't move anything but paper. Yelling out to the heavens, Darien fell to his knees with exasperation. With one last sigh of frustration, he slammed his fist down onto the ground, and to his surprise, he hit it.

"Serena? Is that you?" Mrs. Tsukino hollered from the kitchen, "Are you home?"

Darien raised his hand to the window and waited to see if the light would pass straight through. It didn't. He was himself again, but he knew it wouldn't last long. Reaching for a pen and paper, he began to write Serena one last letter.

. . .

"Serena? Serena, are you ok?" Endymion supported the blonde teen as she dropped to her knees and grasped at her head. "Do you want me to take you to the hospital?"

"No no..." Serena shook her head in an attempt to gain some clarity.

"What's wrong?" Endymion watched, feigning compassion as he helped Serena back up to her feet. He knew that Darien was in trouble, he had seen him begin to fade away.

"Something's wrong." She felt queasy in the pit of her stomach and turned in the direction of her house. "Darien, I have to go." On impulse, her intuition pointed her toward her home and she moved to run, but was stopped in her tracks as Endymion grabbed a firm hold of her wrist.

"Where are you going, Serenity?" He pulled her close. "You have me, stay with me."

"What... What's with you?" Serena shot Endymion an incredulous look as she struggled to free herself from his grasp. "Let me go Darien. There's something wrong. I have to get home." Wrenching her arm away from him, she shot him one last look of confusion before sprinting away.

As she burst through the front door, she caught sight of her mother in the kitchen. "Mama, is everything ok?" The blonde teen asked urgently, grabbing hold of her mother to make sure.

"Yes, of course, what's wrong Serena?" Illene placed the soup ladle down on the kitchen counter, observing her daughters strange behaviour. Beads of sweat clung to the girl's forehead as her eyes darted back and forth around the room. Realising that none of her family were in any immediate danger, Serena focused her thoughts on to the only other person she knew who could possibly make her feel like this.

"Nothing, mama. Everything's okay." Serena forced a smile as she released hold of her mother and bolted up the stairs into her room. As she barged into her room, she was confronted by a momentary cool gust of wind, before a sudden feeling of complete stillness. Almost immediately, her gaze fell upon the note hastily scrawled and left on her desk.

_To my beautiful Sere,_

_ By the time you read this, I will be gone. No more midnight visits, no more invisible kisses; my spirit can no longer protect you, so please be careful. I will find my way back to you, one way or another. I promise. You need to know that Endymion is not who he seems. He's manipulative and dangerous. You cannot trust him. There's one more thing I need to tell you. That night we kissed, the night that I disappeared, just like now, I knew it was going to happen. I knew I wasn't going to make it through the night and I didn't want to leave behind painful memories for you, so I moved all the paper roses into a box and hid them at the back of your closet for you to find one day, maybe when you were ready. I love you, Dumpling Head. I'm sorr_

And with that, the note abruptly ended. Serena rushed over toward her closet, ripping the doors open and desperately diving toward the back in search of some sort of box. Sure enough, in the bottom left corner of the closet, hidden by an old t-shirt, was a paper box. With trembling hands, she lifted the lid and removed a paper rose, letting her tears fall freely as she cried into her hands.

Lita's theory seemed to have worked, but the shadow of doubt crossed Serena's mind. What if, by exposing herself to Endymion, she weakened Darien's spirit instead of strengthening it? What if he really was gone forever? Serena clutched at the paper box with a nervous uncertainty as she tried to gather all her thoughts and focus on the positive. She had to believe that this would work. She had to believe that Darien's spirit was now fighting his way back into his body, because if not, Endymion now possessed the Silver Crystal, and without Darien to stop him, there would be nothing left for this world but death and destruction.

* * *

Within the cold, sterile halls of the Dark Kingdom, the sound of heavy footsteps on solid marble echoed throughout the vast emptiness.

"Kunzite," Beryl acknowledged the presence of her last remaining shitennou warrior. "What news do you bring?"

As the caped warrior stepped through the mist and shadow of the hall way, into the light of the throne room, he knelt down briefly before the Queen. A small victorious smile spread across his lips as he glanced up into her emerald eyes.

"Your highness," He addressed. "It's Endymion; we've found him."

* * *

. . .

So, a quick chapter to break my hiatus, but the next one will be longer, promise! Thank you all for your ongoing support and reviews! I really do appreciate them. I'll post the next chapter within a week, and will hopefully have an update for _**Summer Rain**_ too.

_**Crystal Saturn**_


	18. The War Inside

Hey all! Here's the next chapter!

_**Thanks to: **_Izzy K, midnightdove, angeljme, Miss Katrina Malfoy, Jessica, Guest, UnwrittenOpus, SailorMoon489, MissTexMex, _**and**_ LoveInTheBattleField _**for reviewing the previous chapter**_

* * *

**Title: **Akai Ito  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 18- The War Inside

_I am the war inside  
__I am the battle line  
__I am the rising tide  
__I am the war I fight_

Serena pulled the apartment key out of her pocket and looked at it for a moment. She glanced up at the apartment door before deciding to put the key back away in her pocket. Raising a fisted hand, she knocked on the door.

"Serena..." The tall dark haired man answered and stepped aside, letting the blonde teen into the apartment. "Please, come in." He smiled warmly.

"I'm sorry..." Serena hesitated for a moment, feeling strangely embarrassed all of a sudden. "I didn't know if I should knock or use the key..." Her voice trailed away as she realised that she was mumbling. "I think I'll just knock from now on." She held the key out in the palm of her hand for Darien to take.

"Keep it." He shook his head as he covered her hand with his.

Serena shuffled into a pair of slippers as she strolled awkwardly into the apartment. It felt different now that she knew Darien was back, living in it. She felt so out of place and uncomfortable. A part of her almost felt as though her mere presence invaded his privacy and space. As though he sensed her unease, Darien reached out and held her hand in his for a moment before ushering her to a seat beside him on the couch.

"I know this must feel strange to you." Darien began, "It's strange to think about all that we've been through together... in various different forms." He added with a slight chuckle, gently caressing Serena's cheek with one hand. "But everything will be ok from now." She smiled, nodding briefly before leaning her head affectionately against his shoulder.

"Darien?" Serena turned her head slightly to observe the contours of her boyfriend's jaw line.

"Mmm?" He entwined his fingers with hers reassuringly.

"Do you remember what you said the night of our first kiss?" She asked, feeling a little insecure and remembering the note that Darien had left behind for her.

"Of course." The dark haired man lifted up her hand to his face, pressing his lips against her hand repeatedly. "I told you that you're the one that I want to spend the rest of my life with." Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he brought her in closer to his body. "I told you that I'd fallen in love with you."

Serena's heart skipped a beat at the sound of his words. A broad smile spread across her features and lit up her cerulean eyes. "Darien, I love you." She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek ever so gently.

"I love you too, 'Rena." Darien returned the kiss onto her left temple. Serena's smiled faltered slightly at the sound of her nick name. He had never called her that before. "You'll stay with me forever, right?" He continued. Serena looked up at the man beside her, trying to read his expression. His deep blue eyes darkened slightly and a strange glimmer appeared through his lowered lids.

"Darien," Serena began, feeling uncomfortable once again. "Darien, will you give me the Silver Crystal?" She watched as another strange expression flashed across his features momentarily, before he re-composed himself

"Serena, can't we just be together, for one day, without having to think about such things?" An exasperated sounding Darien ran his fingers through his hair. Serena took this opportunity to distance herself from the man.

"I wish I could... _Darien_." Serena rose to her feet, and paced toward the other side of the room.

"All I wanted was to spend the day with you, Serenity. Why are you making it so difficult? Don't you love me? Don't you want to be with me?" Darien rose to his feet, towering over the petite blonde. He struggled to keep his agitation in check as he felt her slipping away once more.

"I'm not Serenity." Serena tried her best to keep her voice from quivering and showing any hint of weakness. She knew he was no longer Darien. Somewhere along the line, his persona had changed back into Prince Endymion, and it terrified her.

"No, of course not." Darien lowered his voice, controlling it so it remained calm and composed. "Serena, I'm sorry." He began. "I just don't want to lose you."

"Darien, I think I have to go." Serena paced past the man who looked like her boyfriend, toward the front door. Shuffling out of her slippers, she quickly put her shoes back on. "It's getting late and mama will start to worry."

"Can I see you again tomorrow?" Darien asked as he watched the panicked bunny rush to flee the apartment.

"Umm... Sure." Serena plastered a smile across her face before dashing out the apartment and closing the door behind her.

_He's not my Darien. He's still Endymion. _Serena repeated in her mind as she rushed to tap the elevator button. Reaching the lobby floor, she was met by four familiar faces.

"I got the spirit reading." Rei blurted out.

"I got some readings on my computer too." Ami added.

"You did well, Sere." Mina shook her fists with nervous excitement. "I think he totally believed that you believed that he was Darien."

"We should head back to the temple to talk about this." Lita cut in. "It might not be safe here." All five girls nodded and agreed to stagger their exits so as to not look suspicious to anyone who happened to be looking out from their eighth storey apartment balcony window.

. . .

"I don't like this." Serena paced back and forth across the temple room as Rei poured five cups of green tea. "We're playing a dangerous game, and I don't know if I can do this for much longer." She paused in mid thought and sat down at the table with the rest of the girls. "He... he's too good."

"What do you mean, Sere?" Mina took a loud, cautious slurp of her tea.

"Sometimes I swear it's like I'm talking to Darien." Serena wrung her hands together nervously. "The _real_ one." She added before rising to her feet again in an attempt to rid herself of some of her nervous energy. "The things he says, the way that he looks at me sometimes, it's like he remembers. It's like he was there."

"There might be a reason for that." Rei placed the tea pot back down on the table before moving over to the temple fireplace. She knelt down before the roaring fire and immediately they settled into low lying lapping flames, timid under the _Miko_'s watchful gaze. Clasping her hands together in a prayer-like manner, Rei began to recite a mantra under her breath. "Flames of Mars, reveal to us the one who resides within Darien Chiba." The flames leapt high into the air, seeming to dance into a thin veil. Although the fire burned bright, the temperature in the room immediately dropped and an eerie mist seemed to seep from the fireplace.

"Sometimes you really scare me with your supernatural stuff, Rei." Lita shuddered slightly.

A violet hue illuminated the room from the fire. Two piercing yellow eyes appeared within the flames, seeming to glare straight at them. It wasn't much longer before the image of a scarlet snarl also followed.

"Endymion." Mina gasped under her breath.

"The Dark Kingdom." Ami corrected.

"Serena..." An anguished cry called out from the fire. His voice sounded strained and distorted over the crackle of the fireplace. "Help..." The flames rippled like molten liquid as the image of Darien reaching through the flames emerged, piercing through the apparition of the dark kingdom phantom.

"Darien?" Serena leaped toward the flame, reaching her hand out, stopping barely an inch away.

"He's there." Rei confirmed. "But his spirit is weak."

"So the Dark Kingdom is using his memories to get to Serena." Mina mused out loud, trying to piece together all the pieces of the story. "But they have the Silver Crystal, so what more do they want?"

"They can't unleash its full power without Serena, since she's the last remaining descendent of the Moon Kingdom. She's the only one who can handle the full power of the Silver Crystal." Luna appeared from the hallway of the temple. She slowly pawed at the thin room partitions before finally managing to squeeze through an entrance. "By the way, thanks for waiting for me."

"Sorry Luna." the girls collectively lowered their heads at the sight of the guardian.

"What do I have to do to get Darien back?" Serena interrupted impatiently.

"Our main priority is keeping you safe, Serena." Luna attempted to reason.

"My main priority is getting Darien back." Serena returned with a determination never seen before by the other girls.

"It's risky," Lita weighed up the pros and cons in her mind. She empathised with Serena's passionate heart, but knew that her role and duty was to protect her leader, the Moon Princess, at all cost. "You said it yourself. This is one big dangerous game, and the stakes are high. If we lose, the world, the future, all the ones we love, it will all be lost to the darkness."

"My readings indicate that Endymion still has the Silver Crystal. There's still hope of getting it back." Ami interjected, holding up her mini-computer as evidence. The scans of Endymion's form showed a high reading of energy coming from his coat pocket.

"Rei, what about Akai Ito? Does the red thread still connect us?" Serena began to formulate a plan in her mind. A look of determination spread across her face; she was not prepared for Rei's response.

"No..." Rei lowered her gaze. "Not that I can sense. It seems that the thread connecting you with Darien has been severed."

"That's not possible, is it?" Mina perked up, "They're destined. Rei, you said that the red thread would bind destined lovers forever."

"I'll get him back." Serena leapt to her feet, unaffected by Rei's revelation. "I won't abandon him."

"Where are you going?" Rei followed suit, also rising to her feet.

"I need to see him." Serena grabbed her coat as she slipped her shoes on.

"Serena," Ami quickly grabbed hold of her leader. A moment of silence befell the group of girls as they all anticipated Ami's next words. The timid teenager looked into Serena's eyes. She knew that a meeting now between Serena and Endymion would be dangerous. She knew that the risks were high; she had crunched the numbers herself and the stats did not look good, but there was something about the way Serena looked at that moment that made her rethink her warning. Ami knew that there was nothing that she could say to make Serena change her mind. She was now determined more than ever to win Darien back, but it wasn't just determination in her eyes. There was hope, desire, purpose and a strength like no other. All the girls could see it. "Make it somewhere public." Ami warned gently. "You'll be safer meeting him somewhere where there are a lot of people." The blonde teen nodded her head in understanding.

"Remember, you can't trust him. Don't let your guard down." Lita added.

"We'll stay on alert and wait for your call through the communicator. Let us know as soon as something, anything goes wrong." Luna hated the idea of sending Serena out as live bait, especially knowing how susceptible she was to falling for Endymion's charm and letting her guard down around him, but she also knew that there was no way to stop Serena now that she was determined. She just hoped that Serena had thought of some sort of plan.

* * *

"Hey..." Darien approached Serena who waited down by the lake at the nearby park.

"You're here." Serena smiled and sighed a small breath of relief as she ran up to the tall man and flung her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"Why do you seem so surprised?" Darien choked out, finding it slightly difficult to breathe with Serena crushing his chest. "You asked me to come out; you said you wanted to see me."

"No, I know." Serena released her grip on the tall dark haired man as she pulled back and looked up into his midnight blue eyes. "It's just that... well... I missed you, and we left on such bad terms before. I just wanted to make sure everything was Ok."

"Everything's fine, Serena." He smiled as he reassured her and Serena found herself drowning deeper in the depths of his eyes. At that moment, she completely forgot about trying to find the Silver Crystal in his coat jacket. He moved to kiss her cheek, but Serena stopped him, placing her hand on his cheek to slowly guide him toward her lips. She leaned in, reaching up on the tips of her toes as she gently pressed her lips against his. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest as the electric impulses from the kiss jump started her soul. Her whole body tingled like it had done only once before and Serena knew for sure that this time, she was kissing Darien.

"Well, what do we have here?" The sound of a deep voice echoed across the lake. "It looks like we found the rogue warrior in the arms of the girl we sent him to kill."

"Kunzite." Darien lowered his gaze, pulling himself away from Serena.

"Darien?" Serena looked up at the man beside her. "How did he know we were here?"

"Of course we would know the every move of one of our own warriors, Miss Moon." Kunzite smirked as he hovered effortlessly in the air above the lake. With a wave of his hand, a burst of dark energy enveloped Darien's body, transforming him back into the amoured Prince Endymion. "You've done well, Endymion. Queen Beryl was very impressed. Now hand me the Silver Crystal so we can take both it, and its owner back to the Dark Kingdom."

"Endymion?" Serena slowly began to back away. "This was a trap all along…"

"Serena, no." Endymion shook his head in protest. "_You_ asked _me_ to come out here, remember?"

"You told them where we would be so they could find us and take me." Serena reached for her communicator, but before she could alert the others, Endymion grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her in close. He held out the lustreless gem for Serena to take. She hesitated as she saw it. Dull grey in colour, it barely glimmered. A cloudy murkiness transformed it into an almost opaque looking gem, nothing like the one she knew.

"Take it." He ordered quickly.

"That's not-"

"Serena, you _must _take it." Endymion lowered his voice as he spoke with an urgency that sent chills up Serena's spine.

She shook her head slightly "That must be a fake. It can't be the Silver Crystal." Endymion pried open her fingers and placed the gem down roughly on her hand. A blinding light seeped from their fingers as they both transformed, memories flooding their senses.

A golden beam of light radiated from the crescent shaped symbol that appeared on Serenity's forehead. The memories of her past life on the Moon Kingdom took hold of her as she collapsed to her knees. Flashes of their first meeting and their forbidden love replayed in Endymion's mind as he felt the light of the Silver Crystal battle to cleanse him of the darkness within. His heart ached as his head pulsed, feeling like it was being spliced in two. He clasped at his head, cradling it as though it was going to explode from the sensory overload.

The pillar of light that emanated from Serenity's transformation pulsed high into the sky. It gained the attention of the Sailor Senshi who transformed immediately, ready for the battle against the Dark Kingdom.

* * *

. . .

That's it for this week ^_^ Another update will be ready next week, and I'll update Summer Rain in the next couple days. Please read & review!

_**Crystal Saturn**_


	19. Afterlife

As promised, here's the next chapter! After this, only 2 more to go!

_**Thanks to: **_CharmedSerenity3, AM, LoveInTheBattleField, SerentiyMoonGodness, MissTexMex, Usagi-mamo, Princessa de Silence, Perfect Beauty, Miss Katrina Malfoy, SailorMoon489, UniversalBunny _**and**_ Guest _**for reviewing the previous chapter**_

* * *

**Title:**Akai Ito  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 19- Afterlife

_Everyday, a choice is made  
__Everyday, I choose my fate,  
__and I wonder why would I wait  
__till I die to come alive_

"I don't understand..." Endymion struggled to stand as his heart and his head began to wage an internal war within him. "These images..."

"They're of our past." Princess Serenity held out her hand for Endymion to take. She could sense the dark energy still within his body, but knew that he was fighting to make sense of the memories that the Silver Crystal was starting to replenish. The prince eyed down the woman in white suspiciously for a moment. She approached him slowly and cautiously, fully aware of his mistrust of her and the memories being seared into his mind.

"Now now," Kunzite waved a cautionary finger. "Queen Beryl will have none of that." The warrior called upon the Dark Kingdom for energy as he formed a dark orb and hurled it toward the couple. Prince Endymion acted upon thousands of years of instinctual impulses programmed into him, as he surged forward, placing himself in front of Serenity and taking the full impact of the blow. His voice rang out clear across the lake as he dropped down to his knees, body trembling from the electric surge of Dark Energy.

"Why..." Endymion's voice cracked as his eyes grew dark. "Why did I protect you?" The dark prince stumbled back onto the ground momentarily as he shook the foggy remnants of some sort of brainwashed Moon Kingdom dream out of his head and turned back to Princess Serenity. "What form of deceit did you use to implant those images into my head?" Endymion rose to his feet once more and approached the princess. Towering over her, she did not move as he raised his right hand, placing it around her throat.

"Endymion!" Kunzite bellowed. "Finish her off."

"Endy, no." Serenity pleaded as she felt his grip begin to tighten around her neck. "Endymion, please remember me." Her pleas became broken and raspy as her prince lifted her up ever so slowly with his hand around her neck and pushed her petite frame up against a nearby tree. Serenity swung her feet, struggling to reach the ground with her toes. Her head began to pulse as the breath escaped from her lips and the blood was blocked off. Was this it? Everything she had fought so hard for, the man that she had never given up on, was it all for nothing? Would he be her demise?

A single tear trickled from Serenity's cerulean eyes and rolled down her porcelain cheek. It slowly followed the contour of her jaw line, toward the point of her chin before eventually dropping onto Endymion's hand. It was such a little drop by then, but it felt as though it had seared straight through his flesh, and the dark prince instantly released his hold on his captive. Serenity dropped to her knees, coughing harshly as she gasped, taking in as much oxygen as she could. Taken slightly aback at the Princess's unexpected attack, Endymion swiftly reached to unsheathe his broadsword. With her head bowed down at his feet, he knew he could make quick work of her execution.

Serenity's eyes shot up at the sound of the prince drawing his sword, "Darien!" She raised a defensive hand as her desperate plea stopped his sword merely an inch away from Serenity's neck. His heart began to race in his chest at the mention of the name.

"Sere..." The sword clattered loudly as it fell to the ground beside the tearful princess. "I remember you." A strange feeling overcame Endymion as he dropped to his knees before Serenity. She reached her hand up to gingerly cup his cheek. Relief took over as Endymion closed his eyes and savoured the feeling of her healing hand. The energy from the Silver Crystal channelled through the princess and attempted to cleanse Endymion, the process of which began to drain Serenity, soon transforming her back to her civilian form.

"You swore you'd always protect me, Darien." Serena reminded with unshed tears still glistening in her eyes.

"I swore I'd always love you." The armour clad prince covered his hand over hers as she slowly leant in to press his lips against hers

"Pathetic." Kunzite rolled his eyes at the weakened warrior, holding his hand out to expel another surge of dark energy. Through gritted teeth, Endymion groaned in agony, taking the full force of the energy bolt. "This is for Zoicite." Another three bolts of dark energy flowed from Kunzite's hand, hitting Endymion directly from behind.

"Serena..." Endymion reached out, placing his hands on the girl's shoulders for strength. "Help me, please" He pleaded, not knowing that the energy passed through him and into her body. "I can't take much more." The Silver Crystal immediately reacted, repelling the dark forces, but not before the petite girl let out an agonizing shriek.

"Bubble Spray!" A thick cloud of dense mist swiftly rolled through the park, cloaking the location of all Sailor Soldiers, Serena and Endymion.

"Venus Love-Me Chain!" A golden glimmer of light briefly flashed through the dense fog before the chain immobilised its target.

"No, wait!" Endymion roared as the chain tightened, crushing his arms down by his side.

"Supreme Thunder!"

"Fire Soul!" Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter combined their attacks, hoping to free their leader from the Prince's grasp. Maybe then, it would buy enough time for her to escape. The mist slowly dispersed, and through the thin veil of vapour, Serena watched in muted horror as the combined attack hit Endymion between his shoulder blades.

"Stop!" She cried out through her tears as Endymion's eyes rolled back and he collapsed at her knees. "Darien!" Serena cradled his unconscious body as she gently stroked his cheek, trying to check for signs of life. The Sailor Soldiers hesitated as they slowly began to approach their distraught leader. Did they have it wrong? When they arrived on the scene, it seemed as though Endymion was about to attack. He was still evil, right?

At that moment, Kunzite suddenly appeared behind Serena, wrapping an arm around her neck, placing her in a choke hold. A smirk of satisfaction spread across his features as he watched a look of distress and panic befall each and every one of the Sailor Soldiers.

"Thank you, girls." The dark kingdom general drawled, "I couldn't have captured the Princess without your help." A laugh escaped his twisted lips as he vanished, taking Serena with him, before any of the Sailor Soldiers could retaliate.

"No..." Sailor Mars shook her head in disbelief. "What just happened?"

"We need to go after him! He has Serena!" Jupiter surveyed her surroundings, prepared to pounce back into battle.

"Where?" Mercury began, "We don't even know where the Dark Kingdom base is."

"What about him?" Venus nodded toward the unconscious prince. "He would know. He could take us."

"If he's still alive." Sailor Mercury carefully approached Endymion to check his wounds. To her shock, he slowly began to rouse, groaning in pain. Sailor Venus ensured that her chain was still wrapped tightly around the prince's body.

"Serena..." Endymion groaned, feeling rather groggy as he came to. "Where's Serena?" He asked as he met the stern gazes of the four Sailor Soldiers.

"Why don't you tell us, lover boy?" Jupiter sent a spark of static electricity shooting toward Endymion, zapping him slightly. "One of your little lackey's just kidnapped her, and we want her back."

"He has Serena!?" Endymion's voice boomed as she struggled against the restraints. "You have to let me go. I have to find her."

"Not so fast." Jupiter sent another zap from her fingers to subdue the prince. "We know you need Princess Serenity as part of your sick, twisted scheme to rule the world but-"

"I'm not evil." Endymion interrupted, still wrestling with Venus's chains. "It's me, Darien." The armour clad prince powered down back into his civilian form as proof.

"Yeah, right." Sailor Venus scoffed. "Like we'd ever fall for your split personality act. We've seen it one too many times, buddy."

"I'm telling the truth!" Darien growled, growing impatient. "I don't have time for this, _we_ don't have time for this. Serena's in danger and I need to find her, now!" The dark haired man summoned a razor sharp rose in an attempt to cut himself loose, but not long after he had, Sailor Jupiter promptly put an end to his escape attempt.

"Wait, this rose..." The Amazon green suited soldier analysed. "It's red."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you!" Darien frowned in annoyance. "I have all my memories back."

"You've had them back for a while now." Sailor Mercury crossed her arms, still unsure whether or not the man before her was telling the truth. "All of this was because evil Prince Endymion was using those memories to get to Serena."

"We need to get him back to the temple so I can do a fire reading." Sailor Mars stated clearly. "I may also be able to cleanse his aura of any remaining dark energy."

"Rei!" Darien bellowed loudly in protest. "We don't have time!"

The dark haired priestess hesitated for a moment at the use of her civilian identity. Her violet eyes scanned his icy blue ones for the answer as to whether or not he really was back to normal and cleansed of all evil. She found her answer, but couldn't be certain. "Sorry," her voice softened as she broke eye contact. "But we can't be sure we can trust you otherwise."

. . .

Beads of sweat clung to Rei's forehead as she gathered all her energy and focused it onto her fire reading. The flames danced wildly as images of Prince Endymion from the Moon Kingdom simmered across the fire. The priestess shut her eyes tightly in concentration as she repeated the mantra over and over under her breath. The visions in the fire soon transformed into a figure of a man dressed in a top hat, cape and tuxedo, before the disguise faded away to reveal Darien, his fiery figure removing a tear from Serena's eyes. The flames soon died down, leaving the fireplace glowing, only with the dull embers of the now extinguished fire.

"Rei, what did you see?" Ami was the first to speak up. The priestess merely opened her eyes and continued to stare at Darien for a moment longer. A sad expression reached flashed across her face as she rose to her feet and walked over to the dark haired man. Kneeling before him, she bowed her head low to the ground.

"My prince," Rei addressed before lifting her head, although refusing to make eye contact. She turned to the other girls, nodding directly toward Mina, who released the binds around Darien's body. "It's him." She confirmed before turning to address Darien personally. "Although there is still a dark cloud over your heart, you're definitely Darien, and you definitely have a strong desire to protect Serena."

"Right, then where do we start?" Lita wrung her hands together in nervous anticipation.

"Maybe we could use the Silver Crystal to track down Serena?" Ami suggested.

"No," Darien shook his head. "As long as the lineage exists, only descendents of the Moon Kingdom can use the Silver Crystal, and besides, even if we could use it, it would still be useless." He explained, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I don't have it anymore. I gave it back to Serena."

"Oh no..." A small gasp escaped Mina's lips as she realised the consequences of the Sailor Solders' actions. "We came in too soon and attacked the wrong person."

"Now, Serena and the Crystal are at the mercy of Queen Beryl and the Dark Kingdom" Lita shook her head in dismay.

"And we have no way of finding her." Rei added, a heavy feeling resting upon her heart.

* * *

. . .

Brief chapter, I know... and a little bit of a twist on the traditional Tuxie kidnapping script, but I wanted Moonie to be the one kidnapped for once. It happens in the anime and manga, but is seldom ever written about unless it's by a rich prince turning Usagi unto a slave... but anyway! I'll update again in the next week or so. The next update for **Summer Rain** should be in the next few days... and it's a really cute one too!

_**Crystal Saturn**_


	20. Dark Horses

Second last chapter! Woo! Chapter rating bumped up to an M

**Thanks to: **GalaxyStorm2013, Merangelgal, Miss Katrina Malfoy, usako, Princessa de Silence _**and**_ LoveInTheBattleField _**for reviewing the previous chapter.**_

* * *

**Title: **Akai Ito  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** M  
**Chapter:** 20 – Dark Horses

_I made my mistakes__  
__I seen my heart cave in__  
__I got my scars__  
__I been to hell and back again_

_I died that day. The day that the Dark Kingdom took me, I died._

_Maybe it was only for a minute. Maybe longer, but all I know is that when I woke up from my slumber, I had only one mission; to steal the Silver Crystal and kill Sailor Moon. I owed my life to the Dark Kingdom, who had brought me back from purgatory, from nothingness, and I swore my allegiance to them. It was then that the dark energy surged through my veins and the false memories flooded my mind. It was then that I lost her, and she lost me._

_Because the Dark Kingdom was responsible for bringing me back to life, I will always be evil. No matter how hard I try to suppress it, dark thoughts creep into my mind from my subconscious. A kind of shadow sits on my soul. I cannot be cleansed of this evil, and at this point of time, I don't want to be. Maybe one day, but not today. No, not now._

_I lost her today. I lost her to them. She is the only one pure enough to save my soul. She is my light, my saviour, my only love, and it is this darkness in my heart that will bring her back. It is the only thing that can save her now. The very darkness that ripped me away from her loving arms will bring her back. I won't forsake her. Unlike me, she can never- she will never be lost to the darkness._

"Luna," Ami spoke through her communicator. "Have you cracked the tracking algorithm yet?"

"Not yet." Luna shook her head solemnly. "It seems like the computers we have at the command centre aren't fast or powerful enough."

"We have a reading for the magnetic north pole, but there is also a substantial amount of energy coming from the south pole region too." Artemis added in the background. "It seems like recent solar flare activity has interfered with our tracking signals."

"I will bring her back." Darien spoke up once more, powering up into his princely form. "I can still teleport into the Dark Kingdom."

"No." Luna snapped, almost immediately. "I won't risk it."

"We have neither the time nor the luxury of another choice." Endymion rose to his feet. He could feel the energy of the Dark Kingdom begin to seep throughout his body. Strength from stolen energy reached his muscles and his fingers twitched, itching to wrap around the grip of his sword. "Until you can crack the geographic location of the Dark Kingdom base, I'm the only one who can get in and out safely."

"Will you be able to get in undetected?" Lita asked.

"Probably not." Endymion exercised his will to control the dark energy flowing through his veins. "Not unless I've completely embraced the dark energy."

"You can't let that happen." Rei rose to her feet in protest. "If you do, then you'll be lost to the Dark Kingdom again. Who will save Princess Serenity?"

"I know." The light in Endymion's eyes flickered briefly. "I'm holding it at bay for now, but I don't know how long I can hold it back." He knew that it was only a matter of time before the darkness reached the deep depths of his heart, corrupting him once more. The pull toward evil would only become stronger as he stepped deeper into the Dark Kingdom palace. He only hoped that he could reach her before it consumed him.

"Just follow your heart, Prince Endymion." Mina reassured, laying a supportive hand on the warrior prince. "You'll find her."

"Bring our Princess back." Lita added. Endymion nodded, understanding the trust and faith the Sailor Soldiers had placed with him.

He teleported back to the Dark Kingdom realm in a flurry of dark burgundy rose petals. As he walked down the cold onyx tiled corridor, he could sense that he had breached the outer defences of the Dark Kingdom's protective barrier. They knew he had returned, and they were coming for him.

Faceless shadows lunged toward him from the darkness. Endymion drew his sword, slicing through their bodies with minimal resistance. His heart pounded in his chest and he succumbed to the surge of adrenalin and newfound abundance of energy that coursed through his veins. His eyes darkened with a grave determination as he stalked down the hallway and into the main hall. A whirlwind of dark energy engulfed Endymion's body, forcing him to his knees, unable to resist as Queen Beryl slowly approached from her place on the throne.

"I knew you'd come crawling back to me." She drawled. Her scarlet lips twisted into a bloodthirsty grin.

"I'm not here for you." Endymion cringed, fighting to control his body. He needed power and strength, this he could gain from the Dark Energy, but he needed to balance this and gain control of the darkness to ensure it didn't completely take over him again. "Where is Serenity?"

"She's safe." Beryl smirked as a curtained veil fell behind her, revealing the Moon Princess herself, trapped behind a thick pane of glass. Her piercing screams and pounding were absorbed by the glass which intermittently shocked her with Dark Energy.

"Serenity!" Endymion watched as a bolt of Dark Energy exploded in her hands, causing her to cry out and fall to her knees, her hands in searing pain. He struggled to rise up, using his sword as support as his body felt as though it was being weighed down by lead.

"Not so fast, little prince." Beryl summoned her staff, holding it up to draw energy. "I said she was safe, for now. But thanks to you, she won't be for much longer." She lowered her staff, pointing it in the direction of Prince Endymion. Flares of evil energy leapt forth, surrounding Endymion momentarily before becoming absorbed into his body. His blue eyes flashed an unearthly shade of red as the energy from the Dark Kingdom took hold of his heart once more.

"Endymion!" The sound of Princess Serenity's voice rang out loud and clear as the glass pane before her suddenly disappeared. In an instant, she found herself at his feet.

"Endymion, kill her, once and for all." Beryl ordered. Relaxing his wrist slightly to exhibit his sword skills, he wrapped both hands on the grip of the sword before lifting it above his head swinging it down with all his might. Princess Serenity rolled her body out of the way just in time as his sword came in contact with the bottom of her dress, tearing through it effortlessly.

"Endy, please stop!" Serenity cried out in vain as she watched her beloved prince lift his sword once more. "Endy, it's me, Serenity! Please snap out of it." She struggled to distance herself from him, slipping momentarily on her dress. "Listen to the sound of my voice."

"It's useless." Beryl's voice interrupted. "He's a pawn of the Dark Kingdom once more, and this time, he won't fail. With the Silver Crystal in his possession, you're useless to stop him." She let out a shrill laugh. "I've waited lifetimes for this. I watched you die thousands of years ago, and I'll watch you die again tonight. This time, mother dearest won't be there to give you another chance, Moon brat, and Endymion will finally be mine."

"No!" Tears fell from Serenity's eyes as she lifted her hands into the air, summoning her moon wand, adorned with the Silver Crystal. "It will not all be for nothing. Good will always triumph over evil." She watched as Beryl's eyes widened in shock at the appearance of the Silver Crystal. "I lost him once before in this lifetime, I will not lose him again. Moon Healing Escalation!" Through the shimmer and mist of the healing attack, Endymion stood completely unmoved. The attack did little to change the malice in his eyes.

With the simple flick of his wrist, he summoned a single black rose and hurled it toward Serenity. It sliced across her wrist causing her to drop the Moon Wand. Endymion followed up with his initial attack with a body blow, causing Serenity to cry out in pain as the armour on his body crunched with the force of the impact against her body. As she fell to the ground, a glimmer of gold rolled from beneath her. The lid of the golden star locket flipped open and its slow, haunting melody began to echo across the darkness.

Gaining a brief moment of consciousness, Serenity gasped for air, her chest felt crushed and she wheezed as she struggled to breathe through the pain. The glow of the Silver Crystal waned slightly and Serenity powered down into her Sailor Moon form to save energy. The soft tinkering sound of the locket seemed to distract Endymion for long enough for Sailor Moon to reach for her tiara. She knew that the locket wouldn't distract him for much longer. In the mean time, she needed to put as much distance between them as possible, while she thought of another plan to get through to him.

"Moon Tiara Action!" Sailor Moon coughed violently as she struggled to follow through with her attack. The golden disk sliced through Endymion's leg and he winced, growling in pain as he reached for his shin.

"Endymion, I want her dead! Now!" Beryl rose from her throne, evidently growing more and more impatient. At first, she relished every guttural scream and squirm of agony that came from Serenity, but now, she simply wanted her hands on that Silver Crystal, and the wait was beginning to fray on the last tether of her patience. It was becoming slowly evident that the brainwashing from the Dark Kingdom would never fully turn Endymion away from his beloved princess. He would never be anything more than a faulty underling. No amount of dark energy would ever erase her from his memory. It was only a matter of time, and time was not a luxury Beryl had.

A crimson aura surrounded the dark Queen as she summoned a jagged crystal shard, electrically charged and ready to dispose of her now redundant prince. More than anything, she had wanted him, but he would never be anything other than a liability, and she couldn't afford to have such a weakness exposed so close to her heart. With the flick of her wrist, she launched the shard at Endymion.

"Darien!" The glistening projectile caught Sailor Moon's attention and she staggered forward. Endymion turned to see the crystal shard leave Beryl's hand and he summoned a dark orb of energy, sending it spiralling back in return. The energy blast hit Beryl square on the chest and she fell back onto her throne, but not before Sailor Moon hastily shoved Endymion out of the path of the dark Queen's attack. The razor sharp crystal pierced through Sailor Moon's fuku, before becoming embedded in the soft tissue of her abdomen.

Endymion's eyes grew wide as he watched the leader of the Sailor Soldiers sacrifice her life for him. A flash of blinding white light pulsed from the Silver Crystal. White silk ribbons surrounded the wounded girl and as she reached for her stomach, she lifted her porcelain hands to see that they were stained red with her own blood. The offending shard soon dissolved, allowing the open wound to bleed out even heavier and the Moon Princess fell to her knees. Her tear filled eyes watching sorrowfully as Endymion moved to rush to her side.

"Serenity…" He lifted her limp body up, cradling her in his arms. "Serenity I'm sorry." His hands trembled as they reached to hold hers and he layered a torrent of hastily delivered kisses on her pale forehead and face. Her fingers were sticky, smearing her crimson blood onto his skin on contact and the air around them filled with a sickening metallic scent.

Her eyes fluttered open momentarily and a light groan escaped her lips. "I never gave up on you, Darien." Her whispered voice cracked as she spoke, "I'll never give up loving you."

"Serenity… Serena…" Endymion watched as Serenity's pure white dress slowly became stained with the blood of his own failure. "Why did you do that?" He raised his voice at her and it echoed across the cold hard marble of the palace. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Tears trickled from his eyes as the warm forgiving smile slowly faded away from Serenity's lips and her eyes languidly shut for the last time. "Serena, I love you." He held her body tightly and felt as every one of her muscles relaxed.

Endymion's eyes glazed over, darkening a number of shades as he gently placed his princess back down onto the cool onyx floor. Dark energy flared, emanating from his body as he slowly lifted himself up onto his feet. A dark misty shroud fell over him as he lifted his broadsword from its sheath and slowly stalked over to the Dark Kingdom throne. There, Beryl grasped at her throat, struggling to breathe as Endymion's previous attack had hit her hard, crushing her chest and piercing her lungs. Her garnet coloured eyes met his steel blue ones and she struggled harder, desperate to escape him. A part of him relished at the sight of her suffering, her eyes begging, pleading for mercy. It also repulsed him, and he lifted his sword up with one hand, the other resting on his pommel as he drove it ruthlessly into her heart.

Without looking back, he withdrew his sword and silently stalked down the halls of the Dark Kingdom in search of his next victim of revenge, all the while, letting Beryl's blood drip from the tip of his sword across the unforgiving marble floor of the cursed palace. He was determined to find and destroy absolutely anybody who dared to swear their allegiance to the Dark Kingdom. Exercising the power that they poisoned his body and mind with, Endymion would extinguish the Dark Kingdom from the face of the planet, and anybody who dared to stand in his way.

_I lost her today. She was the only one pure enough to save my soul. She was my light, my saviour, my only love… Unlike me, she will never be lost to the darkness._

_I died that day._

* * *

. . .

Dark, I know. I didn't expect or plan for this chapter to be so dark, but it sort of worked out that way. This chapter would probably bump the story rating up to M15+ huh? There's still one more chapter after this one, and I promise it won't be an emo angsty one. Please let me know what you thought by reviewing, and I'll see you all next week for the final chapter!

_**Crystal Saturn**_


	21. Your Love is a Song

This story has FINALLY come to an end! This chapter is for _**Little Wolf Vamp Hearts Yaoi**_, whose review got my ass into gear so I could finally finish this chapter and post it :D I hope it's the closure you and a lot of other readers have been waiting for.

_**Thanks to:**_ Little Wolf Vamp Hearts Yaoi, GalaxyStorm2013, TamoumatheStarWarrior, Amayada, Miss Katrina Malfoy, UniversalBunny, missscatterbrain325, AM9, MissTexMex, LoveInTheBattleField_** and**_ princess moonie _**for reviewing the previous chapter.**_

* * *

**Title:** Akai Ito  
**Author:** Crystal Saturn  
**Rated:** T  
**Chapter:** 21- Your Love is a Song

_I've got my eyes wide open__  
__I've been keeping my hopes unbroken_

_Oh, your love is a symphony__  
__All around me, running through me__  
__Oh, your love is a melody__  
__Underneath me, running to me_

_Your love is a song__  
__Your love is my remedy__  
__Oh, your love is a song_

"Serenity…" Once satisfied that not a soul remained alive in that cursed palace, Endymion returned to the main hall where his mad, wrath-fuelled massacre began. His anger and lust for revenge was now gone. The prince was utterly and completely spent. Now, feeling like a shallow shadow of his former self, he picked up the limp body of his princess. Her crimson red blood seeped through the while silk of her dress and dripped down his fingers. "Serena," He whispered into the darkness as he kissed her cool, pale cheek. "I won't leave you to die here."

The thick fog began to disperse across Tokyo, and as residents settled down to their dinners in their cosy homes, the figure of a lone warrior carrying his princess, emerged from the mist, at the top of the Hikawa Shrine steps. Veins of lightning sprawled across the dark skies ahead, illuminating their shadows in short bright bursts.

Sailor Jupiter was the first to notice, rushing over toward the struggling prince. He was exhausted, drained of all his energy and emotionally broken. The light and life in his eyes was now all but gone. Jupiter and the other girls assisted the prince as he lay the body of their princess down on the stone floor of the temple. Immediately, Mercury rushed to inspect her wounds but as she placed a gentle hand on Serenity's cool wrist, she knew that there was little hope and silent tears clouded her vision.

"She did everything for me, and I couldn't save her." Endymion involuntarily detransformed back into his civilian form before collapsing from complete exhaustion beside Serenity.

. . .

_Warmth; it seemed like an immensely foreign, tingling sensation, almost unrecognisable since I had spent so much time feeling nothing. But at the same time, it was vaguely familiar; like I knew it from somewhere. It was her warmth. The same warmth that I felt that moment I saw her, the day after the Starlight Tower battle, while waiting outside the Crown Arcade. It was the same warmth that I felt the moment she walked straight through me. It was the same warmth that brought me back for the briefest of moments when my lips first brushed up against hers._

_Her life force sustained my spirit and kept me from fading away. Looking down, I could see the tiniest sliver of crimson tied around my left ankle, and I couldn't help but smile. Ignoring my fuzzy ultra bright surroundings, I followed the little red string, watching it stretch and warp, knowing that it would only ever bring me to her, and she was where I wanted to be. I walked down the endless corridors of the hospital, through walls and doors to be with her. I was familiar with my state of being. I knew it well, and I thought that maybe if she had been able to see me before, then maybe she could still see my spirit again._

"I need 250mL of 7.5% hypertonic saline, with 3% Dextran and 0.4% alginate-"

_They were trying so hard to resuscitate her, but her skin was a pale shade of grey and her lips were stained blue. They cut away at her shirt to gain access to her wound, the one that she had sustained while trying to protect me. The one that I should've had instead._

_I watched as they tossed her shirt aside as they continued to resuscitate her. Her brooch tinkled against the cold, hard concrete floor. I reached over toward it, my hand slipping straight through the brooch and as my fingers grazed against the gem inside, the room filled with a blinding light that only I could see. The ground beneath me trembled as though the whole world shook around me. Oblivious to the wave of energy that began to pulsate from the Silver Crystal, the doctors continued to work on Serena, trying desperately to bring her back from the brink of death._

_The sound of my heart beating thumped heavily in my ears. My head pulsed as though it was going to explode. I could feel the blood begin to rush through my veins and oxygen whirled within my lungs. My chest ached. I knew there were doctors working on me in another room. It was me that they were bringing back._

"_Serena…" My footsteps slid across the floor as I made my way by her side. "I'm so sorry…" The feeling of guilt washed over me once more. Once again, it was I who was spared the final blow of death. I bowed my head over her, and ever so gently, pressed my lips against hers. Her eyes fluttered open, but only for me to see. She sat up gently in bed and I struggled not to push her spirit back down._

"_Darien?" She blinked as she looked up at me with those brilliant crystal clear eyes of hers, and my heart broke. The heart rate monitor beside her flat lined. "What are you doing here?"A gentle, reassuring smile spread across her face and her eyes sparkled as though she knew something that I did not. "It's not your time yet."_

"_Then it's not yours either." I frowned, struggling to keep my emotions in check. She seemed to be ignoring the frantic panic of the doctors and nurses around her, tending to her lifeless body. "I won't go anywhere without you, Sere. Haven't you realised that yet? I'll follow you anywhere!" My hands gripped onto her shoulders desperately. She couldn't die. Not like this. Not because of me. I wouldn't let her._

_Slowly, she lifted her hand up and gently held it against my cheek. Her touch felt so warm. "No matter what lifetime, Akai Ito will always bring you back to me." She motioned toward the red thread tied around our ankles, before smiling serenely once more. "Darien, it's not your time yet."_

* * *

Bare feet swiftly padded down the hospital floor. He was searching for someone, anyone to help him relieve his immense boredom. It was four in the morning, but Darien wasn't tired. He had previously slept for three days straight, suffering from exhaustion, dehydration and other minor injuries related to his accident. Everybody else in his room was asleep, and their chorused, incessant snoring was driving him insane. He snuck about in his hospital robe, trying to be as quiet and nimble as he could. He wanted to avoid the wrath of the head nurse on duty; she scared him, and as far as she was concerned, he was on his third and last strike for wandering. One more, she threatened, and they would lock him up in a padded cell.

As Darien snuck down the hall, he turned the corner and found himself at the entrance of another room. The sound of footsteps coming toward Darien made him panic slightly, and he opened the door, slipping in quickly to hide.

"Who are you?" A quiet female voice cut through the silence, startling Darien. He spun around on his heels and noticed a blonde teenage girl sitting up in her hospital bed, digging into a small tub of chocolate ice cream. "What are you doing?"

"I'm hiding." Darien confessed, watching the night security guard pass by the room through the small window. Feeling relieved that he hadn't been caught; Darien turned his attention back to the petite blonde. "Is that ice cream?" He watched as she nodded. "How did you get ice cream?"

"I asked for it." The girl shrugged as she handed the man a spoon. Darien took it as he sat down on the bed next to her.

"But it's four in the morning." Darien waited his turn before taking a spoonful of chocolate ice cream. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"I could ask the same of you mister..."

"Darien." The dark haired man huffed at his bangs slightly, before digging in for another spoonful of chocolately goodness. "I was in an accident where a bus and truck collided. The nurses said I've been asleep for three days straight, so I don't really want any more sleep for a while."

"Really? I was in the same accident! I don't remember any of it though." Her eyes lit up with excitement. Finally, she had someone else she could talk to about it, and maybe she could get some more information out of him. "My name's Serena."

"Well Serena, it's pretty common for people who undergo traumatic experiences or receive a head injury to lose some or even all of their memories." Darien explained. "I'm a little bit fuzzy on the events of the accident too. But I think we're both pretty lucky to have made it out alive." He watched as she smiled and nodded, finishing off the last of her ice cream. "So who do you have to bribe to get a tub of ice cream at four in the morning?"

Serena lifted up the front of her shirt, revealing a line of large, swollen stitches across her upper abdomen. "Apparently I fell on a pole during the accident." Serena explained. "I just woke up from my second surgery where they removed what they hope were the last of the fragments of metal and glass. They said that when I came in, I was a gonner. My heart stopped beating as soon as they stopped the bleeding, but somehow I came back. I've been in an induced coma for the past three days."

"Ouch!" Darien raised his eyebrows at the impressive looking wound. "Well then, you really are lucky to be alive." his hands absentmindedly played with the objects on Serena's over-bed table. Picking up the notepad, he pulled a couple sheets from it and began to fold the paper the only way he knew how.

"I know!" Serena smiled gratefully. "I heard that I'm alive because some man; another one of the passengers, carried me out of the wreckage before passing out himself. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here."

"Huh..." Darien paused momentarily in thought. A flash memory passed through his mind as he vaguely recalled a scene. He held the body of a girl in a white dress, as he struggled up the steps of- and just like that, the memory was gone again.

Serena shifted about in her hospital bed, kicking the covers away before swinging her feet over the side. Darien stopped folding his paper and watched as the girl struggled to stand. Her shaky legs gave way as the muscles in her abdomen ached and stung. Darien reached out and caught her in his arms, preventing her from falling over.

"What are you doing?" He questioned.

"I wanted to watch the sun rise." Serena responded innocently. She steadied herself up against his chest, leaning against Darien for support.

"You shouldn't be up and about." Darien warned. "You need to stay in bed until your stitches heal."

There was something about the way he supported her, with his arms around her, that made Serena's body feel warm and tingly. It felt familiar. It felt right. Darien watched the blonde teen in his arms under lowered lids as a wave of nostalgia overcame him, and he felt as though he never wanted to let go. Serena placed a hand gingerly on Darien's right cheek as she looked deep into his eyes. She could feel his chest begin to rise and fall more rapidly as his breaths became faster and more shallow. Leaning in ever so slightly, Darien kept his arms around Serena, supporting her weight as she moved in closer to him. Neither one could explain it, but somehow, they felt drawn to one another.

The little red thread glimmered happily around the ankles of the two destined lovers and just as Serena began to move her hand away from Darien's cheek, he captured her lips in a breathtaking kiss. Serena trembled in Darien's arms as her cheeks flushed a bright crimson colour. For a moment, she stared at the man before her in complete and utter shock, before succumbing to the warmth of his touch. The feeling of her lips against his flooded Darien's senses, making him feel as though he had spent his life living on a glacier. Never before had he ever experienced such a feeling; a warmth that radiated across his whole body. It felt like her kiss has set his soul on fire and brought him back to life.

"Serena..." Darien whispered as he pulled away ever so slightly.

"Mmm?" Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she stared up at the man before her. A strange feeling of déjà vu overcame them both. Like a lost memory waiting to be found again.

"Thank you, for the chocolate ice cream." A small playful smile began to spread across Darien's features.

"Thank you," Serena broke her eye contact as she nervously looked around the room, struggling to calm the pounding feeling of her heart within her chest. "For my roses." She nodded toward the half dozen paper origami roses that Darien had previously folded. He couldn't help but smile as he helped Serena back into bed.

"I'll make sure to bring you some real ones when I visit again, later today." Darien winked, reaching for the door. Serena nodded, trying her best to suppress her own cheesy grin.

* * *

"'Reeena!" Mina burst through the hospital room door, still clad in her school volleyball uniform. "You're awake!"

"And... you've had a visitor." Lita directed the girls' attention toward the vase of red roses sitting on Serena's bedside desk.

"Yeah." A goofy smile spread across Serena's lips. "And he's really cute." She brought her knees up to her chest with nervous excitement and covered her burning cheeks with her hands. "His name is Darien. I met him last night while he was sneaking around, because he was bored. We started talking. He seems really sweet, and his smile just makes my heart flutter. I don't know what it is about him, but as soon as I saw him, my heart just began to race. It was like I knew him, from a long time ago. Anyway, It turns out we were in the same accident..."

"_Akai ito_..." Rei smiled, nodding in understanding. "We're so happy it all worked out."

"Serena, there's something you should probably know..." Ami interrupted the gushing teen. "As you may already know, you don't remember anything from the past six months, and most things before that are a bit foggy..." The girls watched as Serena nodded simply.

"It's strange that you don't remember him, but you've actually met Darien before." Lita eased the clueless girl into the next statement. "He's a pretty important person in your life."

"I have?" Serena looked about as all four girls nodded their heads in unison. "He is?" The confused blonde frowned deeply as she tried to concentrate on remembering his face. It was then that she began to remember small fragments. One of her school shoes... A test paper... _'Hey, watch it Dumpling Head!'_... Serena gasped slightly as she began to remember. He was that jerk that she kept running into at the arcade. The one that always teased her.

"Serena, Darien's your boyfriend." Mina and the rest of the girls cringed as Serena bolted upright in bed and screeched at the top of her lungs.

"He's my WHAT?!"

"Well, I guess '_soul mate'_ is probably a more fitting term. He's also Tuxedo Mask." Rei added in quickly, deciding that it was probably for the best to just let her know, like ripping off a bandaid.

"That jerk!" Serena struggled to kick the blankets off her bed. "I can't believe he kissed me without even telling me!"

"You've kissed already?" Mina's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. Even the soldier of love couldn't have predicted the speed of attraction and magnetism that these two had for each other. "Moving a little fast there, aren't we?"

"I don't think he remembers you either." Lita strained to hold back her leader from finding the tall, dark haired, handsome hero and wringing his neck.

"That's even worse!" Serena flailed her arms about her "What kind of person just goes about kissing strange girls that they don't remember in hospitals at four in the morning?!"

"Well, at least she admitted she was strange." Mina mumbled under her breath.

"How many other girls has he kissed since he's been awake?" Serena demanded, kicking her covers off of her body as she prepared to march over to his room and give him a piece of her mind.

"Only you, Dumpling Head." Darien leaned up against her room door, a cheeky smile gracing his features as he dodged the half empty jell-o cup hurled at him. He strode over, closing the distance between them until he wrapped an arm around the petite blonde in the hospital bed. "I'll only ever love you." Pressing his lips hungrily up against hers, he ignored Serena's muffled protests and the general cheering and playful comments of grossness from the girls around him.

_**Fin.**_

* * *

. . .

There you have it. The final chapter. Now, I'm fully aware that I've only just finished this story, but I'll be going back to revise it soon. There are quite a few loose ends and holes in the plot that I'd like to fix up, as well as a few minor grammatical errors here and there.

Also, head on over to my blog- w w w . crystalsaturn. weebly. c o m (without the spaces) and help me decide on what story I should write next.

I hope you all enjoyed **Akai Ito**. Leave me a review and tell me what you think. I'll try to update **Summer Rain** soon. Thank you all for reading my story, and much love to those who reviewed. I'll see you again soon!

_**Crystal Saturn**_


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